


Us Against The World

by usernamewhatamidoing



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, PiratesAU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-02-07 16:16:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12844857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/usernamewhatamidoing/pseuds/usernamewhatamidoing
Summary: They all had been gone for so long it doesn't come as a surprise that they hadn't heard of the stirring on the mainland.Their captive would beg to differ.





	1. A Case of Mistaken Identity

_"....When it started we had high hopes, now my back's on the line, my back's on the ropes...When it started we were alright, but night makes a fool of us in daylight...If you’d only, if you’d only say yes, whether you will's anybody’s guess...So up they picked me by the big toe, I was held from the rooftop then they let go, dizzily screaming 'Let the windows down', as I crawl to the ground..." Coldplay: Yes_

//

Glancing up, Chaeyoung let her eyes follow the grey and foreboding expanse of clouds overhead. The chill from the air that whips around her makes her shiver and she futilely tries to keep herself warm by wrapping the thin fabric of her coat closer to her small frame. Pushing off from her place on the railing, she steadily makes her way across the deck to where Jihyo stands, arms crossed over her chest and a firm scowl in place.

"Where the hell are they?" Jihyo mutters under her breath, foot tapping in quick succession against the ground. "It's nearly a half an hour past the time they were supposed to be back. At this rate, we'll never make it to the mainland on time." 

"Who's not back yet?" Chaeyoung questions, squinting out over the bow to inspect the small port they had docked at. 

Jihyo only shot her an exasperated glance before sighing. "Dahyun and Sana, who else." 

The mention of her fellow crew mates has a grin forming on her face before she can stop it. "I'm sure they're coming soon, maybe they just got lost?"

Jihyo's face remains dark, and Chaeyoung grimaces as even she knows that was a weak excuse because the atoll only has a small strip of stores that sold commodities and the like- it certainly wasn't a big enough island to get lost on.

"I'm giving them ten minutes before we're leaving without them." Jihyo speaks resolutely before turning on her heel and stalking back into the hull of the ship, pushing past a confused Jeongyeon who had just emerged.

"What's up with her?" Jeongyeon asks, sidling up next to her.

"She's fine, it's just Dahyun and Sana aren't back yet.

"Really? I was wondering why we hadn't left yet." Reaching to take her cap off, Jeongyeon musses her already tousled hair before spotting something in the distance. "Ah, wait, isn't that them?"

Following the other's line of sight, Chaeyoung saw two specks coming towards them; and growing in size as well. "Are they, running?

"Must be, wait, who's with them?" Jeongyeon was leaning so far over the railing at this point Chaeyoung was afraid she'd fall overboard. "Ah, forget that, who are those people chasing them!

Refocusing her attention ahead, she now saw Sana and Dahyun clearly as they sprinted down the stretch of beach, a stranger being dragged between them with a rather sizable mob trailing only a few steps behind

"," Jeongyeon hisses, "we gotta sail and fast. You go get Jihyo, I'll tell Nayeon."

//

In the end, what was supposed to be a leisurely stop ends in a frenzy to escape a certain danger- of what they hadn't figured out quite yet.

As soon as Nayeon had dragged Sana, Dahyun, and their guest onto the deck, Jihyo was raising the anchor and has their small ship drifting away from the dock, leaving the crowd to fire shot after shot at their hull

("Goddamn pests." Jeongyeon shakes her head as she a shotgun against her shoulder and fires back randomly.)

-

"So, who wants to explain to me what just happened." Nayeon, though feigning disinterest, has that look upon her face that told the others she wasn't messing around. They had managed a decent speed away from the atoll but there was no telling who might be after them. "Well?" 

"U-uh," Dahyun stammers, head quickly oscillating between Jeongyeon's and Sana's face. "It wasn't my idea!

"Hey!" Sana cries, slapping the others arm. "Don't make this all my idea!"

"I'm just saying, it was you who recognized them first." Dahyun reasons. 

"Please, anyone would recognize a uniform like that." Sana huffs. "It was so obvious with the seal and color.

"That's exactly why I said this was a bad idea."

"Excuse me, that's not what I remember. If I recall correctly, it was more like you saying, 'oh gosh Sana you're right! We should take advantage of this situation.'

"That's enough!" Nayeon raises her voice and shakes her head in annoyance. "At this point, it doesn't matter who's _bright_ idea this was. What matters, is the fact that we have a captive in the hull with no idea or plan of what to do with them."

"That's just it though, they're royalty!" Sana stresses.

"It's true." Momo offers, having returned from escorting their guest below deck. "The seal on her clothing is unmistakably of royal personage."

" _Her_ clothing?" Nayeon's eyes narrow pensively, nudging Jeongyeon for some input.

"So," Jeongyeon drawls slowly, "you think because of these things, it's a noble?"

\- 

"Did you bother talking with her and asking who she was before you kidnapped her?" Nayeon finally asks.

"Uh, we hadn't really thought that far."

-

And that's how they all end up clambering down into the hull of the ship to gather around the small holding cell that Chaeyoung honestly didn't even know they had. 

The captive inside sits stock still, huddled into a corner with her face obscured by a burlap sack before Nayeon prompts Dahyun to unlock the bars and unmask her. 

("Why me? Tzuyu is better at being intimidation than I am." Dahyun protests. 

"You have to do it because one, I said so, and two, she wasn't the one who dragged this woman on board." Nayeon replies, agitation clear in her voice.") 

"Excuse me," Dahyun speaks lowly (ever the courteous one) before tugging the sack off to reveal a rather young looking woman. Appropriately, the woman winces from the sudden exposure to the lamplight and then proceeds to glare daggers back at the eight of them. 

"Erm, ma'am," Jeongyeon tips her cap and nods, earning a look from Nayeon before continuing more forcefully. "Uh, I am the quartermaster of this vessel. And as such, I wish for you to speak your title." 

"My title?" The woman quipped turning her attention to Jeongyeon, eyeing her up and down cautiously. "Who do you think I am?" 

"She asked you a question," Nayeon speaks then stepping forward in what is supposed to be a menacing manner, "you'd be smart to answer." 

"And you are?" The captive replies evenly, clearly not moved. 

"The captain of this ship." 

"I see." 

"So?" Jeongyeon prods. "who are you?" 

"Are you _not_ a noble?" Jihyo questions this time. "Are you not a part of the royal family?" 

"Wait, you thought I was a part of the royal family?" The woman's eyes scan the room in disbelief. "Is that why you took me hostage? Thinking you'd get some sort of- of ransom?" 

"Well..." 

"Oh god, that's rich. Truly." 

"So if you aren't a royal then why are you wearing that seal?" Sana points to the coat of arms adorning the left sleeve of the woman's uniform. 

"I'm a part of the royal family, in a way, if you count serving their meals being a part of the family. Then sure." 

A hush of silence falls over the hull before Nayeon silently turns and pounds her feet up the stairs. 

\- 

"The chef. You kidnapped the _freaking_ chef." 

"Well to be fair-" 

"Get out." 

"Capt-" 

"Out!" 

//

Though it was clear Nayeon seemed furious over Sana's and Dahyun's blunder, everyone knew their captain never stayed mad for long. 

Still, the two were sentenced to scrubbing the deck for an entire week as punishment. 

"Hey Chaeyoung, want some jerky?" Tzuyu asks, already extending the tin towards her. 

"Huh? Sure. Didn't Momo make dinner already though?" 

"Yeah, but she's in one of those experimental moods." 

"Oh." Chaeyoung quickly takes a couple pieces of meat and pockets them for later. 

Though Momo wasn't a great cook to begin with, everyone knew to steer clear of eating her food on nights when she would just mix things together in hopes of creating some new recipe. 

(And don't them wrong, everyone loved Momo. It was just sometimes what she made was, well, inedible and pungent enough to make even the most seasoned sailor's stomach turn.) 

"Chaeyoung!" Momo calls, head poking out from the kitchen door. "Come here a second." 

"Uh oh." Tzuyu smirks. "Should I pray for you?" 

\- 

The intense swaying of the ship slows her pace down the stairs, but she eventually finds her footing and makes her way to the cell for the second time that evening, stopping just shy of the entrance. A set of keys hang from her belt and she sets the tray she held down before kneeling to unlock the small access door and sliding it inside. "Uh, here's some food if you're hungry." 

Even with her sullied uniform and haggard appearance, Chaeyoung was struck by the woman's soft features. 

"Is that, an eyeball?" The woman crinkled her nose as she caught a whiff of the stew. 

"Um, maybe?" Chaeyoung also cringed at the lumpy appearance of the food. "Sorry about that, Momo isn't the best at improvising." 

"Right, well, thanks anyway." Chaeyoung watches as she slowly pushes the tray back through the slot and frowns. "I don't want to be rude, but, I think I'll pass on dinner."

"Well, I suppose I can't blame you-" She pauses, "um, what is your name?" 

"Myoui Mina." The woman bit out. "And you?" 

"Son Chaeyoung ma'am." 

"A pleasure." 

From the look Mina was giving her Chaeyoung felt the animosity in those words, and rightfully so, she supposed, as she was being held against her will. 

"W-would you like a piece of jerky?" 


	2. Who's Really In Charge?

_"...There's a wild wind blowing, down the corner of my street, every night there the headlights are glowing...There's a cold war coming, on the radio I heard, baby it's a violent world...Oh love don't let me go, won't you take me where the streetlights glow...I could hear it coming, I could hear the sirens sound...Time came creepin', oh and time's a loaded gun, every road is a ray of light, it goes on, time only can lead you on, still it's such a beautiful night...Gravity release me, and don't ever hold me down, now my feet won't touch the ground…” Coldplay: Life In Technicolor II_

_//_

“Well, what’s it looking like?” Jihyo asks, pressing against her shoulder to peer down at the stretch of parchment that was laid out across the table. 

“We’re still on course to make it to the shore in at least another five weeks.” Chaeyoung leans back from where she had previously been hunched over inspecting the map. “Right on time, despite the little incident at the atoll. The winds have been favorable so…” 

“Mm, that’s alright as long as we aren’t too far off.” Jihyo nods. "I'm worried if we're delayed any longer Nayeon might just jump overboard and swim herself there." 

The comment is followed by a laugh and Jihyo's signature smile, but Chaeyoung has noticed how their captain has been more on edge lately and wasn't sure if she should take those words at face value or not. "She has been kind of fidgety lately." Chaeyoung nods slowly in agreement. "You wouldn't happen to know why would you?"

"Oh, probably just restless or something," Jihyo shrugs, "we've been sailing for more than a couple weeks now. I'm going to talk to her right now and brief her about the route."

"Okay." 

"Oh, by the way, you remember the rotation right?" 

"Yeah, Momo told me.” 

(It had been less than a week since the chef had been brought on board and less than a week since they've started taking night shifts to watch over the woman. Not like Chaeyoung personally thought that she could- or would even attempt- to escape, but Nayeon had been adamant about "setting a standards" because, _they are pirates and have to show those stuffy royals who’s in charge)._

“What do you think of her,” Chaeyoung questioned, “Ms. Myoui I mean.” 

Jihyo stills just shy of the door and her head to the side. “I suppose she’s alright. Why?” 

"No reason, just curious.” 

"I think these past couple years have been hard on us all, Nayeon especially." 

"I know. What do you think she's going to do with her." 

To this Jihyo simply smiles. "Nothing cruel, I'm sure. She's just, frustrated, is all." 

// 

Pushing the wooden door open, Chaeyoung is greeted to the sight of Momo standing by a bright flame, ladle raised just in front of her lips. 

"Ah! Great timing Chae, taste this." Momo's smile is wide as she s the utensil towards her with its contents splashing dangerously close to her face. 

The kitchen is brightly lit from the number of lanterns that lined the walls, and it's particularly warm with the two makeshift stoves that were housed on opposing ends. Hesitantly, Chaeyoung takes the ladle from her friend and brought it to rest just below her nose. "What is it exactly?" 

"Just potato soup." 

She'd admit, the smell wasn't horrible, but after taking a small taste Chaeyoung couldn't help wincing. _Why was it crunchy?_ "Uh, it's not...bad. Salt, it definitely needs salt." 

"Okay, sure." Momo nods happily and goes off in search of the seasoning. "You're here for Mina right?" 

"Ms. Myoui? Yeah." Her brows draw closer together at the informal use of the latter's first name. 

"Give her this." Momo hands her a tray with a bowl of soup, bread and water. "Ask her what she thinks of the soup." 

"Sure. Did you talk a lot with her?" 

"Yeah! She's really nice, gave me a lot of tips for recipes." 

Chaeyoung wants to believe Momo when she gushes about Ms. Myoui, but she knows Momo is especially apt at making light of things; it's just her disposition. 

She supposes she'll have to make an assessment herself. 

\- 

Trudging her way down to the hull Chaeyoung immediately catches the attention of the woman laying lazily on the floor. 

"Hello." 

Chaeyoung nods wordlessly and slips the food to her. "Um, Momo wanted to know what you think of tonight's meal." 

"Ah, sure." 

Settling herself against the wall across from the cell, Chaeyoung watches carefully as the woman takes her first bite. 

"Mm," Mina's nose crinkles for a moment before taking another bite, "why is it crunchy?" 

It's horribly candid and she can't help the small laugh that passes through her lips. "I don't know and I'm not sure I want to either." 

"She's getting better," Mina chuckles as well, "slowly but surely." 

Their eyes meet and their laughter increases, and for a moment, it's like the bars separating aren't there at all. But slowly, silence envelops them again as Mina picks slowly at her dinner and Chaeyoung idly fiddles with the laces of her boots. She wasn't exactly sure why, but being this close to the woman made her nervous. _Because she was a stranger_ , is what she reasons inside her head- because she hasn't seen a fresh face in forever and she is simply intrigued by the chef. 

"It's Chaeyoung, right?" Mina asks, taking a chunk of bread and nibbling on the edges. 

"Yes." 

"How did you end up here, if you don't mind me asking?" 

"Uh, it's kind of a long story, I've only been here for about a year though." 

"Do you like it?" 

"Yeah, everyone is really nice." Chaeyoung smiles fondly as she thinks about her crew that was more like a family to her now than anything. "We take care of each other." 

"Mm." 

"And you? You said you were a chef right Ms. Myoui?" 

"Ms. Myoui? Ah, that makes me sound kind of old don't you think?" The woman frowns. "Just call me Mina. And yes, I am a chef by trade." 

"If you insist- Mina." 

\- 

(The boat continues to sway gently and Mina's eyes began to droop as the night drags on. "You know, in the beginning I was legitimately worried about what you guys might do with me." 

"What did you think we'd do?" Chaeyoung felt her own eyelids becoming heavier but fought against the feeling and adjusts her position once more. 

"I don't know, kill me? Throw me overboard?" 

Mina's words were spoken rather quietly and it left Chaeyoung feeling slightly guilty (and also slightly offended). "We aren't those kinds of pirates." 

"I know that now." Mina nods as she reclines in the corner of the cell. "Do you though? Have something in mind for me?" 

Chaeyoung meets the others eyes in the low light and sees something akin to fear. "I- I'm sorry. I'm not really sure.") 

// 

"You know as well as I do it'd be wrong to keep her down there the entire time." Jihyo whispers across the pillow. 

"What do you want me to do? Let her be apart of the crew?" Nayeon grumbles back, tugging the sheets higher over them. "I can't do that. I _refuse_ , to do that." 

"She could actually be quite useful you know," Jihyo tries to reason, "help Momo out in the kitchen and such." 

"I'd rather continue eating whatever Momo makes over letting that woman free." 

"You haven't even talked to her properly." 

"Why are you siding with her?" Nayeon finally turns to face Jihyo. "I honestly don't care who or what she is, she's as much to blame as those entitled-." 

"She's a _chef_ , Nayeon." 

"I'm not changing my mind. She can stay down there forever for all I care." 

"If that's how you're going to be then fine." Jihyo sighs and pushes herself up, throwing the blanket back to slip her shoes on. 

"Hey, where do you think you're going." 

"To the bunks." 

"What, hey don't-" Nayeon stretches a hand out but catches nothing but air. 

"When you decide to stop being a hard head let me know." Jihyo shakes her head before letting the door close with a gentle thunk. 

// 

"God, it's freezing out." Jeongyeon has her arms folded tightly over her chest as she watches the rain pelt the deck outside. "Mother Nature seriously needs to make her mind up." 

Chaeyoung feels inclined to agree as she gazes out the window. Just a couple days ago the sun had been shining and the skies were clear, but now it seems as though they had hit a patch of back to back storms. 

"It'll probably only get colder later tonight if the weather keeps up, why don't we go check on Mina and see if she needs a blanket or something." 

(It was no secret that most everyone had taken a liking to their so called "captive". The exception of course being their captain who was holding her ground on showing a tough façade. Still, Chaeyoung and her crew mates were simply waiting for Nayeon to crack, either from Jihyo or her own moral compass, which, believe it or not, was actually quite just). 

\- 

Descending the stairwell to the hull, Chaeyoung winces at the harsh sounding coughs that came from where Mina sat huddled on he floor. 

"Oh, that's not good is it." Jeongyeon comments, following closely behind her. 

"No," leaning down, Chaeyoung stuck her hand through the bars to rest against others forehead, finding it to be clammy and chilled. 

"Aish," Jeongyeon sighs and clicks her tongue against the roof of , "it can't be helped then, move aside." 

Chaeyoung watches, eyes wide as Jeongyeon unclasps the hook that held the cell's keys and began unlocking the door. 

"Go tell Sana to wake Momo and have something warm prepared." 

"S-sure." 

// 

A half an hour passes and they're crammed into the kitchen in the early hours of the morning. 

Momo stands by the fire, stoking it gently while adding more wood as Sana hands it to her from the adjacent shelf. Dahyun has made herself cozy by the center island, practically drooling into the countertop and would have dozed off some time ago had it not been for Tzuyu prodding her every so often. 

"Here, this should warm you up some." Jeongyeon smiles, handing the ceramic mug over to a now blanket covered Mina. 

"Thanks." 

Her voice is hoarse and Chaeyoung frowns slightly. With the recent dampness and drop in temperature it was probably horrible being down in the hull. 

"What this?" Nayeon's voice cuts through the atmosphere with a jarring force. The door swings slightly on its hinges and Jihyo rolls her eyes as she slides effortlessly into the room behind the fuming captain. 

"Well?" 

"Mina seems to have caught a chest cold, so I brought her up her to warm up for a bit." Jeongyeon shrugs, seemingly calm though Chaeyoung notes the way she doesn't look directly at their captain. 

"And you didn't consult me first because?" 

"I didn't think it was necessary..." 

"That's not for you to decide-" 

"Oh for gods sake," Jihyo lets out, "Mina's been this way for a couple days now. You know how damp it gets down in the hull when the weather is bad like this, and we can't let her die." 

"I'm not suggesting that." Nayeon replies, rubbing a hand across her face. 

Jihyo strides to stand next to Nayeon, back left to face the room as she speaks low enough for only the two of them to hear. "You aren't winning this, you know that right?" 

"You can't be so sure." Nayeon growls back. 

"I'm always sure. Look for yourself." 

Glancing back, Nayeon found every one of her crew was staring silently at them, faces filled with discontent. 

Sighing heavily she crosses her arms before addressing the room. "Fine. We'll take a vote. Those in favor of placing Ms. Myoui back in her holding cell raise your hand." 

A beat passes and the room remains still, much to Nayeon's displeasure. 

"Those in favor of- allowing Ms. Myoui certain, _freedoms_ , raise your hand." It's unanimous, as everyone's hands go up and Nayeon grumbles once more. "Then I suppose the matter is settled. You all are to be held accountable should anything go wrong. Chaeyoung, she's bunking with you, Sana, and Dahyun." 

Nayeon stalks off then, quickly followed by a smirking Jihyo and Jeognyeon lets out a breath as she begins snarking off to Momo about their captain. 

But Chaeyoung's not really paying attention, more interested in watching a red hue crawl across Mina's face as she begins swaying slightly. Stepping closer, Chaeyoung takes the now empty cup from the others hands. "Uh, Mina?" 

The latter doesn't answer though, choosing instead to reach out to caress the sleeve of her shirt. "It's so- soft. Why is it so soft?" 

"Eh?" 

"Mm, and warm, you're really warm you know that? Why are you so warm?" Mina's words came out slightly muffled as she nuzzles her face into Chaeyoung's sleeve. 

"Um, Momo," Jeongyeon snickers, "did you give Mina something other than tea?" 

"I put a little moonshine in it," Momo spoke, still staring into the fire, "thought it would get her warm quickly, why?" 

"Nothing." Jeongyeon's huffing now. "Chaeyoung, you should take her to the bunks before she passes out here." 

\- 

(The task is easier said than done really, because Mina is actually a bit heavier than she looks and quite a stubborn drunk- persistent in her quest to cuddle with Chaeyoung's arm. 

It takes Sana to pry her off Chaeyoung and Dahyun and Tzuyu to then carry her to the bunks).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Slightly longer chapter here, and I have a feeling the next one will be similar (chapter 4 will probably see a change in scenery though). As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


	3. We Should Get Jerseys ('Cause We Make A Good Team)

_"...They were sitting, on the strawberry swing, every moment was so precious...They were talking under strawberry swing, everybody was for fighting, wouldn't wanna waste a thing...Cold, water bring me round, now my feet won't touch the ground, cold water what ya say, when it's such...A perfect day...I can't wait until the morning, wouldn't wanna change a thing...People moving all the time, inside a perfectly straight line, don't you wanna curve away...Now the sky could be blue, I don't mind, without you it's a waste of time...Could be blue, I don’t mind...Could be grey, without you I’m just miles away...” Coldplay: Strawberry Swing_

//

Her body feels light but her head feels as though it’s being held down with lead. Eyes fluttering open, Mina groans and tries to remember exactly where she is. 

Twisting her body, she’s surprised to find herself suspended in a hammock, and for a moment, she relishes in the softness of the fabric before the boat groans loudly and she feels the light swaying motion. 

Her head throbs painfully and she reluctantly stumbles out of the bed and feels her way through the darkness to the stairwell leading up to the deck. 

(And that’s how Chaeyoung finds her, leaning over the railing of the ship emptying her stomach into the dark waters below). 

-

“Are you okay?” Chaeyoung asks, slowly moving closer to where Mina is seated on the floor of the deck. 

“Oh fine, just getting some air.” Mina waves her hand behind her carelessly. 

“Is it the soup you think?”

To this Mina simply lets out an amused hum but shakes her head. “I wish that was the case, though I don’t think it is.”

“Let me go get you a damp cloth.” Chaeyoung disappears into the kitchen for a moment before reemerging with a small white cloth. "Here, this should help." 

"Thanks." Mina took the cloth from the other and presses it to her temple, allowing the cool sensation to help ease her headache. 

"Are you- seasick?" 

Mina eyes Chaeyoung for a moment, wondering if it's a jest at her, but only sees curiosity in the other woman's face. "I'll be honest, this is the longest I've been at sea. I'm much better acclimated to land."

"Ah.” 

“It’s quiet out here though. So it's not all that bad.”

“It is,” Chaeyoung replies, “makes you forget about a lot right?”

“Mm.” The ship creaks again as a light ripple has it lolling side to side; Mina’s stomach lurches at the movement but she grips the railing tightly and swallows hard, focusing instead on the sky above. The lack of clouds and cool breeze makes the scene almost restful, and so she forces her body to relax slightly- eventually relaxing to the point of falling asleep.

-

(It doesn’t stay that way for long though, as she’s awoken by a bucket of water to the face and is made a spluttering mess before sunrise.)

“Get up,” A gruff voice says as she rubs harshly at her eyes, “you have work to do.”

-

"If you’re going to stay on my ship as a _guest_ ,” Nayeon stares down Mina where she sits cross-legged on the deck along with the rest of the crew, “then you have to earn your place. Dahyun, Chaeyoung, you two take Mina down to the hull and bring up some brooms.”

“You got it cap!” Dahyun smiles widely, giving her a half hearted salute before dragging the more reluctant duo behind her. 

“Sana, you’re going to help Momo in preparing dinner. Jeongyeon and Jihyo, we need to discuss our last findings.” 

//

“Here, you can borrow one of my shirts.” Chaeyoung immediately went to open her trunk that sat underneath her hammock, pulling out a white button up shirt. “It’s a bit loose on me anyway, so it should fit you just fine.” 

“Thank you.” Mina smiles gratefully. 

“Chaeyoung, come help me with this.” Dahyun calls from deeper in the room, struggling to pull up the hatch that lead to the hull. 

“Coming!”

-

“Can you hurry up please?”

“Ouch, hey watch where you’re going.”

“This would have been a lot easier if you’d just taken one from the bunks.”

“Um, guys…"

“But I know there’s one down here, I saw it just the other day…”

“Guys…"

“Well can you see anything now? Oh, that’s right, you can’t because it’s pitch black down here!”

“Hey don’t-"

The striking of a match sounds and light fills the space as a lamp is lit. “There was an extra one sitting up in the bunks so…” Mina trails slightly as the other two squint at her, “I um- I brought it with me.”

“A smart one, I like it.” Dahyun chuckles before spotting something across the room. “Ah! There it is, see I told you there was one down here."

Chaeyoung only shakes her head and sighs as she watches her friend light the second lamp. “That’s not the point.” 

“Are those the brooms?” Mina asks, pointing to a dusty corner where a barrel was filled with various odds and ends. 

Hulling three brooms to the deck along with some extra towels and a bucket for water, the trio began scrubbing the wooden planks. 

“Man, Nayeon has been so bossy lately.” Dahyun grumbles as she peels back a layer of algae with her broom.

“Yeah, she has.” Chaeyoung nods in agreement, emptying the sullied water bucket.

“Probably just grumpy because she’s not getting as much attention with Mina on board.” Dahyun grins over her shoulder at the latter before Chaeyoung huffs and roughly pushes her shoulder. 

“You better watch it. What would Sana do if she heard, huh?”

“Ah, I’m just joking.” Dahyun chuckles before cupping her hands around and shouting to the upper level where Mina was scrubbing. “Sorry Mina! You’re cute but not really my type!”

//

“So, you’re saying we only have the earnings from last month’s raid? Nothing else?” Jeongyeon cards a hand through the large chest only to bring up an old apple core. 

“Well, we didn’t get a lot from that last one anyway,” Jihyo sighs, “and before that we didn’t have a lot to add to. Unless we get a good break in another couple weeks, we’re not going to have enough to even pay for docking when we arrive.” 

“Maybe we can just pawn that girl off to a brothel I know of.” Nayeon crumples a piece of parchment in her fist and lazily throws it across the room. 

“Can we have a moment Jeongyeon?” Jihyo speaks, watching the older woman nod and exit through the large wooden door. “Okay, spill.”

“Spill what.” 

“Stop that.” Jihyo moves to push Nayeon’s legs from where they sat atop the desk. “Stop- trying to be a hard when we all know you’re just soft.” 

“Hey,” Nayeon pushes her chest out slightly and sits straighter, “we’re pirates. I’m a captain, this is how I’m supposed to act.” 

“Is it though?” Jihyo raises a skeptical brow. “Because I sure as hell didn’t join this crew as a pirate. And I know you didn’t form this group for that reason either.” 

“Maybe not,” Nayeon concedes, tossing her hat off and leaning forward to fold her arms over the edge of the desk where she laid her head down, “but we’re a crew.”

“We are.” Jihyo muses, pulling herself to sit opposite the captain on the desk. She playfully twirls the abandoned hat for a second before settling it onto her own head and smiles down at Nayeon. “If you think about it we haven’t been together that long, so maybe we just need to work on our teamwork. Who knows, we could easily become the greatest pirate crew there ever was.” 

Nayeon snorts into her elbow and shifts her eyes to look at Jihyo- with her legs swinging back and forth, an ear splitting grin plastered on her face, and the large hat sitting haphazardly on the crown of her head the younger woman looks at ease. (And she’d always been that way, Nayeon thinks, always more optimistic- always more willing to open up to others). “Yah, are you mocking me?” 

“What?” Jihyo grins impossibly wider and dodges the hand that Nayeon swipes in her direction, trying with fervor to get her hat back. “No, of course not.”

A small chase ensues and eventually Nayeon has Jihyo trapped between the foot of her bed and the wall, the former huffing slightly from the exertion. 

“Why does it look so good on you though.” Nayeon grumbles, adjusting the hat so that it sits more comfortably on Jihyo’s head. 

Jihyo only laughs harder and tosses the hat aside, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to Nayeon’s cheek before whispering in her ear, “That’s because everything looks good on me.” 

//

The sun had risen high into the sky and the storms from yesterday seemed to have given way to a wave of heat. 

Chaeyoung squints, throwing a hand over her face to gaze up into the cloudless sky as a flock of seagulls flew overhead. 

“Oh man, I hope those birds aren’t sticking around too long.” Dahyun groans, leaning against to bottom of the steps. “The deck is practically shining. I mean, I haven’t seen it this clean since, well, ever actually.” 

“I hate those things.” Jeongyeon startles all of them by slamming the bunk door open hard enough to have it rattling. Raising her revolver, she fires aimlessly at the birds until they begin to disperse further away from the ship. 

“Christ, could you maybe not?” Dahyun heaves a deep breath while holding her chest. “You’re gonna give me heart palpitations, at least warn a person before you come out here guns blazing.” 

“Took care of those birds didn’t it?” Jeongyeon shrugs. 

Nayeon emerges from inside the ship, a stern look on her face. “Yoo Jeongyeon, I swear, if you’re wasting ammunition again I’m going to-“

“And that's my cue, gotta go.” Jeongyeon grimaces and turns to hide from the furious looking captain.

With Jeongyeon running as fast her feet can carry her, Nayeon hot on her heels, Chaeyoung can’t help the laugh that bubbles up within her. 

“Is it always this lively here?” Mina asks, glancing at Chaeyoung’s shaking form.

“Sometimes, we’re a pretty- unusual group.” Chaeyoung rubs at the back of her neck. "I promise we usually aren’t this rowdy.”

“No, it’s okay, I like it.” 

-

(“Guys, lunch is ready!” Sana calls from the kitchen door holding a tray of what looks like sandwiches. 

“What are they?” Dahyun sniffs at the contents before taking a bite and promptly spitting it back out.

“Sardine sandwiches!”)

//

“Here, you have to pull the string tighter,” Mina explains, taking the pole from Chaeyoung’s hands and pulling on the line, “like this.” 

“Ah.” Chaeyoung nods, waiting for Mina to continue. 

“Make sure your bait is secured, and then you can cast your line.” 

(After the lunch debacle, Nayeon had decided to appoint Mina to the kitchen to help Momo, _“You said you were a chef right? Well, let’s see what you can do.”_ )

“Like this?” Chaeyoung raises her line above her head before flicking her wrists forward, watching in fascination as the hook went flying forward and lands with a satisfying plunk into the ocean. 

“Yeah.” Mina smiles. “I’m surprised, have you never fished before?”

“Eh, outdoor things have never been my strong suit.” Chaeyoung face reddens as she coughs into her hand. “Even before Nayeon brought me aboard, I was never really that handy.” 

“What did you do before?” Mina tilts her head in curiosity. 

“I was apprenticing as a map maker,” Chaeyoung smiles before laughing, “I can draw a fish better than I can catch one.” 

“And Dahyun? Was she here before you?” Mina asks, looking over to where Dahyun had somehow managed to tangle herself in her fishing line. 

“Dahyun was here before me but we’re pretty much on the same level.” Chaeyoung settles her line between a crack in the deck and the railing before walking over to help her friend. 

“I was a blacksmith before Nayeon brought me on board.” Dahyun said, trudging over to meet Chaeyoung halfway. “The captain saw my potential and begged me to join- ouch!”

“Yes, obviously.” Chaeyoung scoffs, rolling her eyes as she pries the fish hook from where it had embedded itself in Dahyun’s elbow. 

“Honestly none of us have that much experience as sailors.” Chaeyoung gives up on trying to untangle the thin thread and brings out a small pocket knife to cut through it instead. 

“Yeah,” Dahyun nods in agreement, “believe it or not Momo is actually the only one who was a part of a crew before coming here.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure she spent some time in the navy. She doesn’t really talk about it though.” 

-

Three hours later, they caught a grand total of six fish, all fairly decent in size. Mina was quick to cart their catch into the kitchen where she and Momo began skinning and deboning them. 

“Are we making some kind of soup with them?” Momo plucks a bone from the torso of a sea bass, tossing it into the growing pile. 

“Um, I was hoping to actually just cook it as is.” Mina looks around the kitchen for a pan of some sort. 

“Oh? We don’t have any real fancy equipment here though…” 

“It’s okay, I can show you an easy way to grill it.” Mina nods, pulling a large black skillet from the back of a cupboard. 

(“Should we take the skin off?” 

“Sometimes, in this case it’s better to keep it on. This way the fish doesn’t get dry too quickly.” 

“Ah, I see.”)

//

Weeks pass, and Mina becomes a regular in the kitchen with Momo, which was fine by Chaeyoung because the food has been _amazing_ thus far. 

She notes how even Nayeon begins warming up to the new recruit, which, probably was a given because Mina really was something. Slouching over the counter as she watches Mina and Momo prepare that nights dinner, Chaeyoung can't help but to wonder what Mina would look like in an actual kitchen with actual chef whites. 

_Even cuter, probably._ Is what she thinks, burying her face further into her arms as she feels a rush of warmth coming over her cheeks. 

It wasn’t something she actively thought about, but she also wasn’t dumb, the idea that she might like Mina as more than just a new crew mate is definitely something she was beginning to acknowledge. 

Mina is kind, an amazing chef, and actually, is really handy at a lot of things. She has the cutest little laugh and this (odd) fascination with sharks, _“have you ever seen one up close? I bet they’re cute.”_ (And Chaeyoung has _never_ thought of sharks as being cute, seeing how they could probably chew someone like her in half, but if Mina wanted to believe that sharks were cute, then of course, she was going to agree that sharks were cute).

Mina was unlike any other person she'd ever met before.

And maybe it was pure infatuation- maybe it was just a fleeting crush. That was her reasoning anyway, to justify the odd fluttering sensation she felt whenever she was around the older woman. 

Chaeyoung doesn't think she was the type to pursue such feelings either way. 

_She probably doesn’t even see me that way._

“Chaeyoung!” Nayeon’s voice floats in from outside and she hops off the stool to see what the ruckus is about.

Pushing the door open, she spots Nayeon standing at the front of the ship, telescope in hand. "You called?" 

"Where are we exactly? This isn't on the map." Nayeon hands her a roll of parchment before looking out into the horizon once more. 

Chaeyoung squints but can't make out anything with just her eyes, and so she takes to unfurling the parchment and scrutinizing the map that was printed onto it. "If the coordinates are correct, then you're right it looks like nothing's been added there. Not on this map anyway." 

"Can I have a look?" 

Both turn to find Mina standing not even a couple feet away.

"Chaeyoung is our designated navigator." Nayeon replies automatically. 

"It's okay," Chaeyoung took the telescope from the others hand and gave it Mina, "maybe you know what it is? Without a map I'm afraid I'm pretty lost." 

"That white flag," Mina hums, "it's a lagoon. Neutral territory used by a lot of sailors from the mainland. If it's the one I'm thinking about, I've stopped there once or twice before, it's used for resting purposes." 

"What's there?" Nayeon asks, taking the telescope back.

"Not much, a lot of pure water though. Some special species of fish and fruit."

"Food!" Dahyun exclaims, practically crawling overboard as she tries to see the shore. 

"Do you know where it would be on here?" Chaeyoung shows Mina the map, holding a pencil at the ready. 

"If I remember correctly it isn't too far from the capital. Less than three days, and it's to the far west." 

Nayeon looks to be in deep thought before making up her mind. "Then we'll head there for a bit, we could probably use to restock on some things." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Another chapter for this story, and probably my last update for this week (and maybe even the following one because things are getting kind of busy for me). I apologize if it seems like I haven't been updating my other things, I just really have taken a liking to this au for some reason, but I promise I'm still chipping away my other things as well! Apologies also for any typos and as always, thanks so much for reading and I hope you've enjoyed!
> 
> (P.S. The shark reference is from the latest TTV episode; I just thought it was really cute that Mina was so excited about sharks for some reason and decided to add it).


	4. Landfall At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, sections in _italics_ are flashbacks.

_"...At night they would go walking ‘til the breaking of the day, the morning is for sleeping, through the dark streets they go searching to seek God in their own way, save the nighttime for your weeping...So we rode down to the river where the toiling ghosts strain...For their curses to be broken, we’d go underneath the arches where the witches are in there saying, there are ghost towns in the ocean…” Coldplay: Cemeteries of London_

//

The water in the lagoon is clear and warm and all Dahyun wants to do is lay out on the sand and take a nap.

Unfortunately, it seems like Nayeon is on a mission to have them working overtime- and that's how she finds herself clinging to the trunk of a swaying coconut tree fearing for her life.

"Come on, it's not that hard just swing your arm around." Jeongyeon shouts up to her from the ground, clearly done with trying to console her. 

"I'm going to die!" Dahyun shouts back, eyes still clenched tightly shut.

"You can't come back with nothing, at least try to get one." 

She feels her grip slipping and so she shrieks and let's go of he machete that's being held in her left hand to grasp at the trunk with both hands. 

"Hey! Watch it you could have killed me!" 

"Sorry!" Eyes still closed, she swallows and slowly tries to inch herself higher up, eventually reaching the point where she's can't go any farther. "W-what do I do?"

"Well, if you had the knife you could cut some down." Jeongyeon sighs before pulling a gun from her her holster while smirking devilishly. "Looks like I'll just have to shoot some down." 

"What! No no no, I'm still up here! Jeongyeon? Are you listening!?"

"Jeongyeon stop teasing Dahyun." Sana comes bounding over from the now docked ship, though her laughter clearly shows her ease with the situation. 

"Who said I was teasing her." Jeongyeon deadpans, clicking the safety off on the pistol. 

"You're insane." Dahyun groans out, slowly trying to slide herself down only to get a quarter of the way before falling flat on her back after grabbing a rotten patch of bark. 

“You all are insane.” Jihyo sighs, watching in exasperation from the upper banks. "Nayeon?" 

"It's no use, just let them be." Nayeon replies, mouth twisting around the edges in a resigned way. "Chaeyoung, why don't you and Mina take a walk around and draw up a quick map of the place." 

"Sure.” Chaeyoung nods enthusiastically, rushing back to the ship to get her supplies. 

“And you,” Nayeon steps forward enough to block the sun from Mina’s face, “If you try anything, or if I find out anything happened to Chaeyoung while you two are gone, I swear, I will find you-“ 

“I think what she means to say is, please be careful and come back safely,” Jihyo interrupts, smile wide as she physically pushes Nayeon away, “preferably before it gets too dark out.” 

“O-of course.” Mina nods furiously, unsure of whether to be afraid or smile. 

\- 

(“You were doing it again.” Jihyo sighs once the two younger girls have left. 

“Was I? Mm, probably because I meant it.” Nayeon rolls her eyes. 

“Well, I was planning on spending the rest of the day with you but…it looks like Momo might need me more.” 

“Hey, I didn’t yell at her or anything, I just want to be careful.” Nayeon reaches to grab at Jihyo’s hand. “Come on, I’m sorry. You have to admit, we haven’t been able to be alone like this for awhile.”) 

// 

The wooden box that she has strapped to her back digs into her shoulders as she slowly trails behind Mina, but she pushes through the pain and continues to scale the narrow dirt path. Her calves are aching by the end of it and she finds herself hunched over, practically gasping for breath. _She really needs to exercise more._

“This is the highest point, you should have a pretty good view of the entire lagoon from here.” Mina speaks, clearly unaffected from the climb as she stands perfectly at ease beside her. 

“U-uh, okay, great.” Straightening up, Chaeyoung takes one last deep breath before proceeding to slide the pack from her shoulders and pulling out a telescope. “This might take a while, but you can go look around if you’d like.” 

“It’s fine, I don’t mind really.” Mina swings her arms back and forth before puffing her cheeks out and plopping down next to where the other has set up her surveying equipment. “I’m actually interested in seeing what it is you do.” 

“It’s nothing exciting.” Chaeyoung huffs out a laugh. “I’m not really that great

“I’m sure you’re just being modest.” Mina shoots her a lopsided smile before bringing her legs closer to her chest and resting her head atop her knees. “Besides, I think this makes up for all the times you hang around in the kitchen.” 

There’s a sudden rush of heat to her cheeks and she quickly turns in embarrassment. “I-I just stay in case you guys need help, and by you guys I mean Momo.” 

“Sure, whatever you say.” 

Finally locking the last piece of the easel in place, Chaeyoung is able to clip a large piece of parchment to the frame and pull a ruler from the box. Glancing over the cliff, she can’t say that the lagoon was large, but it was still sizable and would take time to draft a detailed map. “Well, since we have the time do you mind me asking you some questions?” 

“Oh? Shoot.” Mina leans back now on her elbows, just enough to watch the other’s hand moving quickly across the paper. 

“Where exactly are you from.” 

“Originally? From a small town in the south, my parents are both farmers, but I moved to the city to pursue my passion as a chef, and eventually found myself working for the monarchy. Yourself?” 

“I didn’t know I would be participating in this as well.” Chaeyoung pauses to grab another pencil. 

“Does it bother you?” 

(In the short time she’d known the older woman, she’d learned three things: 

  1. Mina Myoui was a great chef- and amazing chef, really.
  2. She was handy in the weirdest ways.
  3. Despite her usual, soft spoken demeanor, there were instances in which Mina would let out another side of herself- a confident and sassy side that Chaeyoung absolutely _loved_.) 



And looking at Mina now, still leaning propped up on her elbows with a playful smirk plastered across her face, Chaeyoung would admit it was something she found really attractive. 

"Uh, no. Of course I don't mind." She nods, quick to tear her eyes away and refocus on her work. "Not much to tell though, I grew up on a small fishing island in the far west region." 

"And your family? How did you end up here with Nayeon?" 

"That's no fair, that's like three questions in a row." A soft whine reaches her ears and she smiles as she continues to flesh out the beginnings of the coast. 

"Mm, okay fine. Your turn then." 

\- 

("What's your favorite thing to cook?" 

"Pastries. What's your favorite thing to draw." 

"Um, everything?" 

"Eh, that's way too vague." Mina shakes her head, not taking that as an answer. 

"Okay, then things I like." Chaeyoung finally steps back to appraise her progress, head tilting slightly. "Did ok like working for the King?" 

Mina's doesn't answer right away, and her hesitancy makes Chaeyoung's head turn towards her. 

"That depends," Mina her lips, tone suddenly more serious, "how do you feel about that?") 

// 

"Let's look over here!" Momo speeds up slightly while dodging the jagged shells that poke out of the sand. 

"Wait up!" Dahyun calls to her shipmate, just barely keeping pace. 

"Dahyun-ah," Sana, who was reluctantly following the two, pouts, "why can't we just rest like Jihyo and Nayeon." 

Dahyun blinks, "Well, I promised I'd help Momo with dinner tonight since Mina went with Chae." 

(Plus, she highly doubts Nayeon and Jihyo were just _resting_.) 

"Guys! I found something!" 

Coming to halt behind Momo, Dahyun and Sana both lift their heads to peer up at the gaping cave that had appeared before them. 

"Whoa." Dahyun's mouth falls open in amazement, feet already moving closer to the entrance. 

"Uh, hey don't you think we should go find Nayeon first?" Sana speaks, wanting to take caution before entering the dark cave. 

"We'll stop if we hear something, and we won't go too far in." Momo assures her before following after Dahyun. "You can stay out here if you want, keep watch for us okay?" 

\- 

Sana, of course follows them in, citing three was better than two. 

And of course, they have only a small lantern to guide them through the darkness. The cave itself was small, but it's riddled with twists and curves and unexpected hazards; Sana just narrowly escapes impaling herself after tripping close to a particularly sharp looking stalagmite formation. 

"Are you okay?" 

"Yeah, I'm alright." 

"Um, hey guys, what's that?" 

// 

By the time they make it back to the beach where the others have made a small bond fire, Chaeyoung and Mina are exhausted. 

"About time you two showed up, you'll never guess what we found!" Dahyun hops from foot to foot, teeming with excitement. 

"Is that a trunk?" Chaeyoung asks, setting her stuff down and moving closer to where Jihyo sits, tinkering with the padlock. 

"Yeah! We found it exploring a cave." 

"I'm telling you, this would go a lot faster if you'd just let me shoot that thing off." Jeongyeon grumbles from her spot atop a piece of driftwood. 

"Can you please stop trying to shoot everything?" Dahyun looks at the quartermaster with bewildered eyes. 

"Ah, hang on I think this is it." Jihyo continues fiddling with the lock until an audible click is heard and it falls helplessly into the sand below. "Got it!" 

"Okay so who wants to volunteer to open it." Sana asks, already backing away from the trunk. 

"It's probably nothing since it was just left in there." Jihyo shrugs. 

"Or, it could be filled with gold and we'll be rich." Momo counters, looking pleased with herself. 

"Move over." Nayeon nudges at Jihyo until she's crouching in front of the chest. Everyone watches intently as the captain lifts the lid and peers inside. And for a moment, everything is silent, until Nayeon is letting out a grunt of indifference and rising to her feet. "Just some newspapers." 

"Newspapers? That's it?" Dahyun groans in disappointment. 

"Actually they look pretty new too." Jihyo lifts one out and inspects the paper, noting the date of one to only be from a couple months ago. 

"Nothing new obviously." Nayeon scoffs, reading one of the bolded headlines. 

"Urgh, I though we actually found something good." Momo slumps into the sand before rolling around with a frown. 

// 

The next morning she finds hat a light dew had settled over them in the night and the remnants of the fire still glowed red in the foggy air. 

Sitting up, Chaeyoung rolls her neck slightly and winces as a loud pop is heard. 

Momo, Nayeon, and Jeongyeon were already up and milling about, hulling crates of supplies back to the ship, while everyone else appeared to still be sleeping. 

"You should probably start waking people up, Nayeon wants to get sailing as soon as we're don't loading up." Momo smiles at her as she bends down for another crate. 

"Yeah, sure." 

\- 

They're leaving the lagoon only a half hour later and after sailing at a constant speed for another couple hours, they're able to start seeing the first glimpses of the capital. 

"Before we make landfall I think It'd be best if we had an update, you up for it?" Nayeon directs her question at Mina who is attentively scraping barnacles off a small section of the ships hull. "You think they'll have someone looking for you?" 

"Definitely not. People like me are disposable." Mina shrugs. "And not much has changed, I mean, from the past four or five years, the situation has only gotten more severe." 

"What do you mean?" 

Mina pauses and searches for where Chaeyoung was, waiting for the other to give her an encouraging nod. 

"Well..." 

\- 

_"What do you mean?" Chaeyoung's head tilts to the side and her brows draw together in confusion._

_"I mean," Mina shifts to a cross-legged position, "what are your views on the monarchy. Do you- support it or are you against it?"_

_"Oh, well, I-" Chaeyoung stops, trying to gauge a reaction from Mina but comes up empty, "I'll be honest I'm not fond of it..."_

_"Mm. Neither am I." Mina agrees easily and visibly settles. "Things are getting worse in the capital. A lot of people are unhappy with some of the deals the royals are making- something has to break soon."_

_"Break? How so."_

_"I mean riots- protests. I didn't get out a lot because I worked in the kitchens, but from what I heard from others, the locals are beginning to split." Mina waits to see if Chaeyoung was going to interject or not, but continues after a beat. "You're either with them or against them, is what I mean. And I have a feeling you and the rest of your crew- all of us- are against them."_

_-_

"That's no surprise." Nayeon shakes her head. "Even before the power change, people disagreed with a lot of things." 

"That's true, but not to this degree." 

"Well, I won't believe it until I see some evidence for myself." 

"There's some for you." Mina drawls out, head nodding behind Nayeon, where the entire crew is looking now. 

There, in the horizon, a large fire blazes and ships of all sizes can be seen being engulfed by the fire as a horrible smell begins wafting through the air. 

"That is something." Jihyo mutters, stepping closer to the railing of the ship; the crackling sound from the heat being the only thing competing with the swaying sound of the ocean as they all look on. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for taking so long with is chapter! Hopefully now things start to pick up. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!


	5. Breakpoint

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, things in italics are flashbacks

_“...It was a long and dark December, from the rooftops I remember, there was snow, white snow...Clearly I remember, from the windows they were watching, while we froze down below...When the future's architectured, by a carnival of idiots on show, you'd better lie low...If you love me, won't you let me know?...I don't want to be a soldier, who the captain of some sinking ship, would stow, far below...So if you love me, why d'you let me go?...I took my love down to Violet Hill, there we sat in snow, all that time she was silent still…” Coldplay: Violent Hill_

//

_There’s sun streaming in through the dusty windows of the store, and as Nayeon lets the door shut behind her she eyes the tables that seem to be overflowing with gold coins. The room is small and a stick incense burns on the front counter; beside it a stack of burlap sacks sit and she resists the urge to just grab one, fill it to capacity and have them both run._

_“I know what you’re thinking so don’t even try.” Jihyo’s voice floats into her ears making her head snap up. Still hunched over at her desk, the other turns to shoot her a knowing look._

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Nayeon smirks and swings herself up and over the counter to move further into the room._

_“Didn’t we agree that it was a bad idea for you to visit me at work?” Sliding her glasses off her nose, Jihyo smooths a hand across the paper of the ledger, satisfied that the ink had finally dried._

_“What can I say, I can’t stay away from you.”_

_Jihyo blows the candle out and the room darkens slightly. Though the older woman puts up a good front, she knows better than to fall for it. “No work today?”_

_Nayeon simply purses her lips and shakes her head. “A little tough when half the town is out of work.”_

_“You’ll find something soon.” Jihyo speaks, beginning to stuff her belongings into a beat up rucksack._

_“Hopefully,” Nayeon mutters, drawing closer to the latter and resting her body against their back. “Are you coming over later?”_

_Jihyo chuckles at the clinginess of her girlfriend, but ignores her for the moment and reaches for the inkwell on the shelf. “I’ve gotta make sure everything is alright at home, but I’m fairly certain I’ll be stopping over-"_

_It’s a sudden and rattling boom that makes them both jump, Jihyo subsequently dropping the bottle as it shatters onto the floor._

_“!”_

_“What the hell was that?” Nayeon grips tightly at Jihyo and chances a look back to the window. Outside, people rush past in an urgent manner and muffled screams can be heard as another explosion sounds, closer this time._

_“Come on, we need to go.” Jihyo speaks carefully, pulling them toward the exit. Together, they shove the wooden door open into chaos. People barrel down the lane, and if hadn’t been for Nayeon’s hold on her arm Jihyo was sure she’d be knocked down. The smell of smoke is strong and from the hills all she can see is red engulfing the tree line. “A raid?"_

_A gunshot is heard nearby, catching Nayeon’s attention, and from corner of her eye she watches silently as a body is dragged into an alley leaving a sickening red trail behind. Bile rises to and the smoke begins to sting her eyes as the scene overwhelms her._

_“Nayeon…”_

_Her ears are ringing and her palms are sweating-_

_“Nayeon!”_

_She closes her eyes tightly, gripping Jihyo’s hand shakily in her own-_

//

“Nayeon!” Jihyo shakes the captains shoulders harshly and brings their faces close. “Come on, look at me, you need to tell us what to do.”

Shaking off her thoughts, Nayeon nods weakly before finding her voice again. “Are we able to turn around?”

“There’s no time,” Jeongyeon shakes her head grimly, “We’re too far into the harbor.”

The closer the boat gets the louder the shouts become.

“Navy ships approaching!” Chaeyoung calls down from the crows nest, pointing to the large fleet that seems to be following them into the docks.

“I’ll go and get a cannon ready.” Jeongyeon says, rather excitedly considering their predicament. 

“Don’t bother,” Nayeon speaks through gritted teeth as she spies the size of the approaching fleet, “we’re no match for those ships.”

“So what, we’re just going to wait for them to sink us?” Dahyun asks, face full of panic.

“They wouldn’t fire at us, we’re too close to the city, right?” Jeongyeon gulps, eyeing the large cannons that stick out the sides of the massive ship.

"They aren’t aiming at us.” Jihyo’s eyes widen in realization.

“They want to take out the mob.” Nayeon grips the edge of the railing. On the banks, the crowd of people seem to grow in size and the blaze continues to crawl slowly across the small portion of the docks. “I don’t think they give a damn about killing some rowdy citizens." 

“Uh, guys, why are they pointing guns at us?” Sana, who had just emerged from the bunks, asks pointing towards the line of rifles that were now pointed in their direction from the shore.

“Which one is the lesser of two evils.” Jihyo mutters dryly, appraising the grim situation.

“We’re close enough now, don’t you think we should get out before they start killing each other?” Jeongyeon tries to reason as Nayeon stays mute.

A yelp comes from Dahyun as a bullet whizzes past her ear, slicing a small cut into the cartilage.

“Tsk.” Jeongyeon quickly pulls her rifle from her belt and fires at the line, hitting one in the shoulder.

“I take back what I said before,” Dahyun in a deep breath, “I’m really glad you like to shoot things.”

“She’s right, we should leave before we get stuck in the crossfire.” Jihyo sighs, turning to Nayeon.

“We can make it though.” Nayeon shakes her head. “I’m not leaving the ship.”

“Look at us, we’re stuck. We’re sunk either way and I’m not losing you- any of us.” Jihyo states firmly.

(In her head, Nayeon knows the other is right, it's too much of a risk to just sit idly, but it's the principle of it really- a captain never leaves her ship.)

“Jihyo-“

“Guys,” Chaeyoung interrupts hurriedly, having climbed down from her post. “incoming!" 

The sound of splintering wood breaks through the air and the ship rocks violently as a cannon ball lodges itself into the side of the hull.

“We need to go- now!” Jihyo shouts, spurring the crew into action.

Momo emerges from below deck with a couple bags and hands them off to Sana. “Um, cap I don’t know if you noticed but there’s a huge hole in the ship…”

Nayeon blinks and suppresses a sigh. “I noticed. Get as much as you can carry and remember to keep it light. I want you to lead since you’re probably the best swimmer here.”

“Got it.” Momo smiles widely and goes off in search of some more light and essential items.

Tzuyu, having been occupied securing a small chest of all their more precious items, finally emerges into the madness.

“Hurry it up! We’re going to swim the rest of the way!” Nayeon shouts from the edge of the deck.

It takes another couple minutes of gunfire from one side and the looming threat of cannon fire on the other before they begin jumping overboard one by one. 

And they almost all make it- until a shriek and another deafening crack is heard.

“Mina!" 

-

It’s like the whole scene happens in slow motion, and Chaeyoung swears she feels her heart stop as the cannonball practically tears the deck in half and throws Mina tumbling off the ship.

“Mina!"

Tzuyu, who’s the closest to the chef reaches out but can't grab her in time; slipping into the ocean herself a moment later as the chunk of the deck she’d been standing on falls off into the water.

(The barrage is coming in full force now, one after another from both sides. All the ships in the harbor are practically being torn apart now and it’s all so loud; Chaeyoung is trying her hardest to crawl to the edge, but something grabs her and pulls her back.)

“It’s too late, let them go!” Nayeon growls, picking up and holding tightly to a squirming Chaeyoung.

"No, I can- we can save them just let me go!"

"It's too late! Leave it!"

With a surge of strength, Nayeon swings them both towards the docks and jumps overboard, pulling the younger with her as she follows Momo to land.

//

It's cold.

That's the second thing Mina's mind registers, with the first being that she's falling and there's no way she can stop it.

The impact is rough and she feels a sharp pain in her head as she descends further into the dark water. Everything is happening so quickly and debris continues to falls into the surrounding water blocking her from swimming to the surface. Her lungs burn for air and while she's never been the greatest swimmer she tries her hardest to propel herself upwards. All too soon though she feels herself getting lightheaded and her vision turns spotty- it's a losing battle and try as she might she just sinks further and further down. 

(The light gets smaller as she drift further from breaking the surface and as she takes in her first lungful of water she stops fighting it altogether.)

//

Gripping the largest of the protruding stones, Momo gracefully pulls herself up and out of the water, tossing her drenched pack onto the ground before catching her breath. 

They'd swum as far away from the docks as they could, and once she judged that no one had followed them, she found the most secluded edge of the town that she could. 

Dahyun is the next one to pull herself from the waters, flopping onto the ground with a loud groan, clearly winded from the half hour of swim. "How are you not dying right now?" 

Momo simply shrugs and peers over the edge, stretching a hand out to help Jihyo over the edge. 

"Momo, Dahyun," Nayeon gasps out, tugging Chaeyoung as close to the wall as she can, "grab her." 

Once they're all on solid land, the crew falls into a stiff silence. Everyone and everything was accounted for, sans Mina and Tzuyu, who's absence clearly has everyone a little shaken. 

"We need to get somewhere dry, somewhere to lie low and stay away from whatever that was." Nayeon says, trying to get them back on track.

"So you're just going to abandon them?" Chaeyoung spits out, glaring at the captain. "You're not even going to look for them?" 

"I get that your angry with me but you could have died back there." 

"So that makes it okay?" Chaeyoung is on her feet now, standing toe to toe with Nayeon. 

"I never said that-" 

"If you're not going to look for them, then I will." Chaeyoung says harshly, storming off back in the direction of the docks. 

"Chaeyoung, hey! Get back here!”

(And Nayeon gets it- get it because she’s just as frustrated as Chaeyoung is, but she can't just lose her cool because of this. Can’t blame it on her poor reaction skills and has to stay strong; has to find someplace safe for the rest of them right now and worry about if she made the right call later.) 

Fists clenched, she lets out a shuddering sigh and jerks her head towards the direction of the latter. "Dahyun, stay with her and makes sure she doesn't get into too much trouble. The rest of us are going to find an inn somewhere, I'll send Jeongyeon out for you later."

"Okay, I'm on it."

// 

"Easy there," Tzuyu soothes, as Mina struggles to cough up water. "just breath." 

Taking in shaky and short gasps of air, Mina glances to the side and sees the sun beginning to set and that it was just her and Tzuyu, well, wherever they were. 

"Not going to lie, I thought you were dead for a second there." Tzuyu says, face never betraying any semblance of emotion. "But, I'm glad you're not." 

"Uh, thanks?" Mina nods slowly, lapsing into an awkward silence once she’d gotten enough breath back.

(And It wasn't that the two were on bad terms or anything, it was simply a case of them not having a lot time to get to know each other as Tzuyu usually was in the hull, cleaning the single canon that they had or polishing the small gun collection Jeongyeon had amassed while she was usually in the kitchen or out on the deck.)

Her clothes were soaked through and a chill shook her body as she became more aware of the way the fabric clung to her body. The side of her head starts to throb suddenly and in bringing her hand up to touch the side of her head, she finds there’s a cloth tied tightly around it, blood seeping slightly through white fabric.

“I know it’s not exactly the best, I’m not a great doctor,” Tzuyu rubbed at the nape of neck, “but it’s what we’ve got. From the looks of it you must have knocked your head on the side of the ship, it’s shallow though so I don’t think you’ll bleed out.”

“Ah, good to know.” Mina nods, amused by the others blunt words. “Thanks for taking care of me...”

"No problem." Tzuyu shrugs. “Why, you didn’t think I would?”

“Huh? Oh, no, well I just wasn’t sure...” Mina trails off, unsure of what to say.

“If you’re still worried about fitting in don’t, having you around has actually been a blessing." 

“Oh.” 

“And don’t mind the captain, she’s always kinda prickly with newcomers. She just hates the aristocracy.”

“Well, thanks again.” Mina tries to smile, grateful for the others knowing answers. “I know you didn’t have to save me so...thank you.”

"I mean, Chaeyoung probably would have killed me if I didn't save you from drowning, so it's a win win for all of us." 

At the mention of Chaeyoung, Mina tilts her head. "What- do you mean?"

"Seriously?" Tzuyu chuckles, pushing herself up from her crouched position to tower over her. “You two really are similar aren't you." 

At this point she’s not sure if Tzuyu is trying to or actually tell her something (things like that were always a little hard to gauge with the younger.) And it was true, out of all the crew members, she was probably the closest with Chaeyoung. But it wasn’t anything that she thought of as odd; it wasn’t like she consciously chose to think that Chaeyoung was really nice and really pretty- those were just facts.

“I don’t- I’m not really sure of what you’re getting at.” 

“I’m saying, Chaeyoung looks at you like you put the stars in the sky so she’d be pretty disappointed if I went and left you to die, plus, having a cook around is really good for the crew.”

“S-she does not.” Mina tries, a slight whine in her voice as her cheeks start to turn pink.

“Mm, sure.” Tzuyu smirked slightly and reached to pull Mina up from the cobblestone road. “Come on, it’s getting colder out so we should find a place to sleep for the night." 

“Shouldn’t we try to find the others?”

“It’s getting too dark out now, we need to get moving or we could get caught. I know an inn that my friend owns nearby.”

//

“Chaeyoung come on we’ve been walking for hours, they aren’t anywhere around here. Let’s just go back.” Dahyun pleads, tugging gently on the others sleeve.

“Go back then.”

“Urgh, Chae please-“

“Aren’t you even upset in the slightest that Nayeon isn’t doing anything to look for them?” Chaeyoung turns on her heel quickly, startling Dahyun.

“Chae...” 

“I just- I don’t...” 

“Hey, look I get it.” Dahyun sighs, stopping in the middle of the road next to her fuming friend. “If Nayeon had left Sana, I would have been furious too, but in hindsight, there was nothing we could have done.” 

Chaeyoung’s jaw tightens but she stays silent, prompting Dahyun to keep going. 

“I know Tzuyu, she’s made out of some pretty tough stuff. And I’m sure Mina is too.” 

“I just- you guys are all I have.” Chaeyoung all but whimpers out, defeat finally setting in. “And Mina- I...” 

“Oh kiddo,” Dahyun whispers, pulling the latter into a lopsided hug, “come here.” 

Her breath hitches slightly, and her chest feels tight and heavy with emotions she’s all too familiar with. 

“I think I hear Jeongyeon nearby, they must have found someplace for us tonight.” 

Slowly, Chaeyoung follows her friend to where the quartermaster was waiting at the intersection.

(She wasn’t going to give up Tzuyu- or Mina. Even if it meant going against her captain- she was going to find them.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Another chapter for you guys; as always I just wanted to thank you all for reading and hope you've enjoyed!


	6. Paper Cut Tigers (Starting To Bleed)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, things in italics are flashbacks.

_“...Just because I'm losing, doesn't mean I'm lost, doesn’t mean I'll stop, doesn't mean I not cross...Just because I'm hurting, doesn't mean I'm hurt, doesn't mean I didn't get what I deserved, no better and no worse...I just got lost, every river that I tried to cross, every door I ever tried was locked...And you'll be lost, every gun you ever held went off, ohhh and I'm...Just waiting 'til the firing stopped, ohhh and I'm...Just waiting 'til the shine wears off…” Coldplay: Lost!_

//

_"Pick up the pace Hirai! You think this is supposed to be fun?"_

_The rain continued to fall heavily from the sky, sliding down her face in large drops which she was sure were probably obscuring the tears that were also coming from her eyes._

_She usually wasn't one to cry, but drills were always something she'd hated, and that morning she hadn't been allowed to eat breakfast and then she had gotten a letter from her sister telling of the disasters at home- and really the last thing she wanted to do was pull herself up and over a twenty foot wall._  
  
"Hirai! I said a get a move on!"

_Emitting a low groan, Momo gritted her teeth and desperately tried to pull herself further up the rope. Her hands were raw and red but she had to find a way or else her superior would have her doing laps for the rest of the day._

_(When she joined, she figured it would be a nice escape, a way to keep herself out of trouble and on the path to something resembling a structured life; a way to send a nice paycheck home for her family.)_

_But as she found herself sliding down the rope, ripping the tender skin of her hands and leaving her bloodied in a puddle of mud, she wasn't entirely sure if she'd made the right choice._

//

“Move over.” Chaeyoung grumbled, pushing her feet against the wall of the single room they had all been squeezed into and bumping her back into Dahyun. 

“Sorry.” “Dahyun sighs, and scoots closer to the right. 

She’s probably being petty- knows that her mood is foul and that it really isn’t anyones fault. But her clothes are soaked and had to be left to dry by the small hearth along with the rest of the crews, and after pulling the thin sheet over her body, Chaeyoung rolls onto her back, blocking out the flickering light with the palms of her hands. 

She’s exhausted, but still she can’t find it in herself to settle enough to close her eyes. 

“Here,” she hears Jihyo call from across the room, stopping behind where Momo sits huddled near the door, “you should eat.”

“I’m alright.” Momo replies weakly, shaking her head at the bread being offered.

That grabs most of the room’s attention as the atmosphere becomes even more strained. 

“You sure?” Jihyo asks once more, not quite convinced. “I’m sure you’re at least a little hungry after swimming all this way.” 

“Thanks,” Momo smiles weakly, still pushing the others hand away, “but I’m alright, really. I think I’m just gonna close my eyes.” 

Jihyo looks as though she's about to press the issue until Nayeon speaks up. “Alright, that’s fine. You did well today, thanks.” 

“No problem.” 

“We’ll talk more in the morning,” Nayeon nods then, “we should all just try and rest.”  
  
“What are you doing?” Jihyo eyes her from where she had been unrolling her blanket. 

“I’m going for a walk.” 

Chaeyoung closes her eyes once more as she listens to two sets of footsteps creak across the floorboards. Someone is stepping over her and when she reopens her eyes, she finds that it's Momo that situates herself close to her head.  
  
The other is gazing off into space and as Chaeyoung blinks up at her, she finally realizes that the day had been hard not only her, but the whole crew. 

"Momo?" Chaeyoung reaches out to lightly shake Momo's hand.

"Mm?" 

"You okay?" 

(She doesn't receive an answer, but Momo leans down to settle her head onto Chaeyoung's shoulder before letting her eyes flutter shut.) 

//

By the time they stop in front of the large wooden door, her feet are sore and aching from the unevenness of the winding alleys. 

Mina figures they must have been pretty far from the main market place as most of the streets were plunged into total darkness, leaving them to stumble and feel their way to their destination. 

(It was really a miracle they even made it.) 

Her head is still pounding slightly but she follows closely and stands behind the taller woman. 

"This is it." Tzuyu stretches a hand up to pound loudly on the door. The inn itself was small and tucked into the back of a dead end alley. With only a single oil lamp situation on a crate outside, the place looked abandoned.

Footsteps prove her thinking wrong though, and the sound of a lock being released is heard before the door peels back to reveal a rather young looking woman. 

"Sorry, we're all full." The woman sighs, almost in an annoyed tone before looking up.

"Even for me?" Tzuyu smiles slightly, rocking back and forth on her heels. 

"Tzuyu?" The woman's eyes widen in surprise before a smile takes over her face as well. "Oh my gosh what are you doing here?"

The two blink before Tzuyu is pulled into a hug and their laughter fills the empty night; it's unsettling to Mina for some reason, probably because she's still soaked, hungry, and tired but she simply waits and trusts Tzuyu to know what's going on.

"Uh, come in, come in."

They're ushered inside and Mina spies a clock hanging across the room, noting the earliness of the hour. The door is again, locked behind them and the woman turns to them. 

"So? What brings you back?" 

"Sightseeing," Tzuyu shrugs, gesturing to her own dripping clothes. "but it would seem we came at a bad time."

"Nayeon and the others too?"   
"Yeah, but we ended up getting separated. And, oh, sorry," Tzuyu suddenly remembered it wasn't just the two of them, "Mina, this is a friend of mine, Elkie. Elkie, this is Mina, she's new to the crew." 

"A pleasure," The woman- Elkie- gives her a wide smile before turning back to Tzuyu, "unfortunately, what I said before is true, we're all full here. But you're welcome to hang out here in the bar until morning." 

"Well, we were hoping for something, maybe a little more, inconspicuous?" 

"Do something you shouldn't have?" 

"Not exaclty. Like I said before, just bad timing." 

"Okay, well there's always the cellar." 

-

(It's cold and damp but Elkie is able to wrangle some extra blankets and offers to take their jackets to be dried upstairs.) 

"We'll definitely need to go get that cut treated properly. Tzuyu mutters, rewrapping Mina's head after using some clean water to rinse the cut.

"You think we'll be able to find the others tomorrow?" She asks, huddling underneath her own blanket.

"I don't know. Hopefully." Tzuyu frowns. "I'm sure they're fine. We'll be fine."

"Yeah."

//

"Look at me." Jihyo tugs once more at the other, finally getting them to still with a pleading look. "Hey, come on."

"I'm fine." Nayeon bites out, pulling a face but not brushing Jihyo’s hand away. 

“I know you probably don’t want to talk about it, and that’s fine, but I want you to at least listen to what I have to say.” Jihyo brushes a hand against Nayeon’s cheek and continues after she’s given a reluctant nod. “I think we’re all just a little tired and on edge after today, understandably so. And I know that you want to blame yourself for this but it’s not any of us could have known.”

“I know.” Nayeon sighs. 

(They’re blocks away from the small inn they had found- pressed closely together in the darkness of an alley and all Nayeon can see is Jihyo.)

“Do you remember, what you told me when you asked me to come with you?” Jihyo smiled faintly, brushing the tips of their noses together. “You said, that you wanted to be a trailblazer. That you were going to be the one to teach those well dressed heathens some manners.” 

“I was a lot younger then.” Nayeon chuckled lowly. “A lot younger and stupid.” 

“I’m trying to say that we have a chance now. It seems like there’s already thing thing happening, you saw it today first hand. People are finally speaking up.” 

If she closes her eyes, Nayeon thinks she can still feel the sway of the ocean- thinks she can still smell the salt of the water and feel the warmth of the cloudless sky. 

And maybe Jihyo is right, maybe now is their opportunity, but she’d be lying if she said she was ready to take that step. She’d be lying if she said she was all she talked about being. 

(There were times when all she wanted to do was sail the seas with Jihyo and leave everything else to crash and burn.)  
  
“I know you probably won’t believe this, but we need you.” Jihyo pauses. “I need you."

“I just don’t want to take any more unnecessary risks.” Nayeon grips the others hand and gently begins to pull them back towards the inn. 

"You’re the only thing holding us all together at this point.” 

“Doesn’t feel like it.” Nayeon huffs. 

“You know why Chaeyoung is upset,” Jihyo nudges her, “If the situation wasn’t actually dire I’d say it was cute.” 

“Mm, well, Chaeyoung is a good kid, she deserves some happiness.” Nayeon shrugs, not looking beside her. 

“Do you not approve?”  
  
Jihyo’s tone is teasing and Nayeon sighs. “I never said that.”  
  
“They’re cute.” 

“Sure, whatever.” 

-

(“So what do you think?” 

“I think we need a plan.”)

//

“How do you know Elkie?” Mina asks, picking at the now cold gruel the bowl in front of her held. 

Weak sunlight shines through the windows and guests mill about the bar. 

"We were childhood friends." Tzuyu replies, munching on her own food.

“Before you became apart of Nayeon’s crew?” 

“Way before. Speaking of before, I was able to talk to her about what happened at the docks yesterday.”

“Mm, an insurrection?” 

“Yeah, seems like we came in on the peak. Word is they’ve been planning that particular attack for some time now.”

“Bad timing then.” Mina nods. “The ship is surely destroyed, so it looks like we wouldn’t be able to leave even if we wanted to.” 

“Unfortunately. Our first priority today should be to meet up with the others and lay low.” 

“Still?” 

“I have a feeling tensions between authority and the people here are fairly high, it’s better to try and blend in.”

-

Mina has no grounds to object, especially not when Elkie is being nice enough to give them clean, new clothes and tips about the city. 

“You two be safe.” Elkie gives them a smile and hands Tzuyu a small sack with food for later. “And you, don’t be a stranger I know you can write.”

“Sorry Elkie.” Tzuyu grins sheepishly, giving the latter a quick hug. “Ready Mina?”

//

The marketplace is hot and crowded as the afternoon sun beats down on them. Stall after stall held oddities and treasures, foods and spices from far away lands; even live animals. 

“Can we get some?” Momo asks excitedly, staring down one of the food stalls.

“It’s about time for lunch,” Nayeon sighs reluctantly, “I suppose we are due for a rest.” 

Sana and Momo cheer, dragging Dahyun between them as they rush back to where they appeared to be selling potato pancakes. 

Nayeon has insisted, much to Chaeyoung’s displeasure, that they should stick together in order to search for Mina and Tzuyu. 

And while she had half the mind to sneak off and find them herself, she knew that Nayeon was probably right and that it was better to stick together as to not lose anyone else. 

Her stomach lets out an audible growl and so she promptly follows after her crew. 

“These taste like heaven.” Momo practically moans after taking a bite. 

“They’re so good.” Dahyun and Sana agree, both nodding and taking quicker bites of their food.

A loud outburst is lost in the noise of the crowd, but from where the stall is situated they have a rather clear view of where someone is being dragged off by two uniformed men. 

“What is that all about?” Jeongyeon wonders aloud.

“Deserters.” The woman from the stall replies, making everyone’s head turn. “Picking ‘me up and throwing them in the prison over the hill.” 

“Momo?” Chaeyoung says, watching as the other stiffens and food falls from her limp grasp. “Momo what’s wrong?” 

“W-we need to go.” Momo stutters out, turning her body trying to shield herself from the officers view.

“Momo what’s going on?” Jihyo asks, startled as Momo begins tugging on her. 

“We need to get out of here now.” 

There’s a panic in Momo’s voice that scares Chaeyoung. Abandoning their food, they quickly begin weaving through the throngs of people.

“Momo slow down!”

It’s too late though, and the moment Momo turns to look back at Chaeyoung, she runs smack into trouble. 

They’re a towering one, with strict features and a hard scowl. 

“In a hurry there?”

“Uh, s-sorry.” 

Jeongyeon rushes forward to help Momo. “Yeah, sorry we’re in a bit of a hurry. We, uh, need to get to a doctors.” 

“Yeah,” Jihyo buts in, rounding the two and pointing at Momo, “this one has a bad infection.”

“Still don’t see a reason for you to be running around here like hooligans.” The officers time is skeptical. “And you? Are you all together?” 

Nayeon sighs for what feels like the hundredth time that day and steps forward. “We’re her friends. Going for- support.” 

“Mm.” Eyes squinted, the man grabs roughly at Momo’s arm. “Say, don’t I know you from somewhere?” 

“Eh?” Momo’s voice goes an octave higher. “No, I don’t think so.” 

“Hey, why don’t you get your hands off her?” Jeongyeon growls, pulling on the other side of Momo.

“I don’t think so.” 

Suddenly the man reaches for something inside his pocket, producing a small silver cylinder. 

The shrill screech of a whistle is heard, and suddenly there’s movement in the crowd as more uniforms head their way.

“Goddamn it.” Nayeon mutters. 

Quickly, she latches onto Momo and somehow manages to tug them out of the officers grasp.

“Run!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just wanted to thank you guys for being so patient and reading this story! Apologies for any typos, and I hope you’ve enjoyed!


	7. If I Wait Too Long (I Lose You From My Sight)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Just a quick note, things in italics are flashbacks. (Also, there is a short scene in this chapter that may be disturbing for those who dislike the description of violent acts but I won't be rating this one.)

"....When it started we had high hopes, now my back's on the line, my back's on the ropes...When it started we were alright, but night makes a fool of us in daylight...If you’d only, if you’d only say yes, whether you will's anybody’s guess...So up they picked me by the big toe, I was held from the rooftop then they let go, dizzily screaming 'Let the windows down', as I crawl to the ground..." Coldplay: Yes

//

"Do you hear that?" Mina questions as they meander through a crowd of people.

"Mm?" Tzuyu's brows furrow as she lifts her head up to listen. "Oh, you mean _that_?" 

In the distance, the two watch as a seemingly invisible path is carved and numerous gasps and shouts of surprise are elicited from the masses.

"Stop!" A uniformed man shouts, clearly in pursuit of someone. 

"Wanna bet it's someone we know?" Tzuyu sighs, unfazed at the prospect and already walking towards the commotion. 

"Huh? Wait, you're seriously just going to follow that mess?" Mina asks in disbelief, grabbing at Tzuyu's arm to stop her from moving any further. 

"If there's one thing I know it's that we usually attract a lot of attention wherever we go." 

"But-"

"I mean, if you haven't noticed we're kind of awful at this pirate stuff." 

"Well...just to be sure, let's follow them. Discreetly. If it is them, then we'll be able to get some help.”

// 

_The room is cold and dark and her hands shake against her own volition as she watches helplessly from the corner of the room._

_(Her breaths come out as wispy clouds and Momo thinks that if she focuses hard enough on that, she can block out the horrid scene in front of her; but there's the shrill cries of pain and the harsh snap of the baton against thin bones and she can't turn away.)_

_A loud crack is heard and Momo blinks as the body falls limply to the floor in crumpled heap._

_Her superior stands over the prisoner, back heaving as the metal baton they hold glistens with a fresh coating of blood. "You see that Hirai? That's what happens when they don't cooperate."_

_After a hard kick is given, they finally turn to face her, and Momo can sense the crude satisfaction radiating from them._

_"Clean this up, then you can go to the bunks."_

\- 

She should have known something like this. In fact, it was something that she prided herself on; being close to the crew and knowing each and every one of them like they were her own flesh and blood. And this large of an oversight didn't sit well with Jihyo. 

(Or perhaps it had more to do with the fact that they were all currently caged like animals into one, small damp cell, she really couldn't tell at this point.) 

After Momo had explained the situation to everyone, she had gone mute, though that doesn't really surprise her. And despite not liking their current predicament, Jihyo was content in leaning against the concrete wall and allowing the latter to bury herself into her side. 

"So..." Nayeon finally breaks the silence, throwing her hat off in a lazy manner, "did you really do it? Did you torch the place?" 

Everyone's eyes shift to the cook and Momo simply nods gently. 

Nayeon snorts before nodding approvingly. "Serves those bastards right." 

A small round of chuckles go around the cell and even Momo can't help the small smile that crawls across her face. "Sorry I got us caught." 

"Nah," Jeongyeon says, "don't worry about it. We would have been caught sooner or later. How we get out is the question now." 

All eyes turn to Nayeon who simply gazes past the bars of the cell. "Guards took the keys with them and I don't think bail is an option." 

(It's dark with no windows; their only light comes from a dim oil lamp that hangs across the way from a single hook and the only sign that they are not alone in the block comes from the arm sticking out of the shadows of the adjacent cell.) 

"So, what, we wait?" Sana pipes up, sprawled across the ground while tapping incessantly at Dahyun's leg. 

"Unfortunately, we don't have any other options right now." 

“Hey! No talking!” 

Chaeyoung’s head shoots up at the shout, as do the others, eyes wide at the two guards that now hover in front of them. 

Mina’s hand is poised at her mouth, signaling for them to stay quiet, while Tzuyu appears next to her after checking the hallway once more. 

“We’re here to get you guys out.” Tzuyu whispers lowly, trying to jimmy the key into the lock as quietly as possible. 

“How did you find us?” Nayeon hisses back, face pressed tightly against the cold metal of the cell bars. 

“Saw the mess you made at the market.” Tzuyu smirked, finally twisting the key and opening the large door with a creak. “Come on, we’ll explain everything after we’re a safe distance from here.” 

A thud is heard as Chaeyoung practically crushes Mina, drawing her close to her chest and breathing a sigh of relief. “I was so scared. I thought you might- I didn’t know…and, oh my god what happened to your head!” 

“What am I?” Tzuyu scoffs. “Chopped liver?” 

“I’m fine, don't worry.” Mina laughs in surprise, allowing her head to settle into the crook of the others neck before bringing her own arms up to encompass Chaeyoung. “Tzuyu is the one you should thank, really.” 

The two pull away after another moment and Tzuyu is the next one to be enveloped in a bone-crushing hug. 

“Nope, doesn’t count anymore.” 

“I missed you.” Chaeyoung pouts. 

“Mm.” Tzuyu hums, but still hugs her friend back. 

“While this reunion is nice and all, how do you plan on sneaking all seven of us out with you?” Jihyo cuts in, nervous by the looks they’re getting from their previously sleeping neighbors. 

“There’s an abandoned service tunnel that goes through the bottom of the building, if we can get you to the basement we can just run from there.” Mina pulls out a hastily drawn map, courtesy of Wonpil. “Apparently there’s not a lot of security down there, so it should be fairly easy.” 

“Let’s not waste any more time here then,” Nayeon starts pushing the last of them out of the cell, “lead the way you two.” 

// 

_“That’s not good.”_

_“No, not at all.”_

_There’s a scuffle, and once Momo get’s cuffed it’s only a matter of time before the rest of the crew joins her. Peering down from the roof of a nearby building, Mina and Tzuyu watch as their friends are escorted down the street, presumably to some sort of holding center._

_“Got any ideas?” Mina sighs._

_-_

_“Long time no see. Not that I’m not happy about seeing you guys, but what’s up?”_

_“I need a favor. Or two.”_

_“Oh?”_

_“I need you to help up break some people out of prison.”_

_“Tzuyu you know I can’t do that.” Elkie laughs, focusing on wiping down a used table in the restaurant._

_“Well I figured you couldn’t, but certainly you know someone who can, don’t you?”_

_"That’s a whole other story.” Hands on her hips, Elkie eyes her friend and sighs. “You know it would be a lot for me to ask them. And even if there was a price, I don’t know if they’d do it for certain.”_

_“I know. But it’s worth a try, and besides, I hate to pull that card but, you owe me.”_

_The atmosphere shifts and Mina’s unsure if she should stay or politely excuse herself, and when she tries to take a step back, Tzuyu is quick to shoot her a look. “Uh, is there then? Someone who's able to help us?”_

_“There’s a guy I know.” Elkie turns to her, face less pointed. “He works security at the prison your friends are likely being held at.”_

_“We need to take the shot if we have it.” Tzuyu says, standing her ground._

_“I know.” Elkie sighs. “I just don’t want anyone to get hurt. This is a tough situation, especially with how strict things have gotten around here.”_

_“Trust me, alright. Please?”_

_-_

_(“Here,” Elkie throws a small rucksack from the doorway, “these are two uniforms that will get you in. The man you’re meeting up with outside the prison is named Wonpil, says he knows the new cells that are being occupied.”_

_“Thanks Elkie.” Tzuyu smiles, tugging the woman in for a hug._

_“Yeah, whatever.” Elkie huffs, but easily returns the rare show of affection. “Just come back in one piece alright?”)_

// 

Her lungs are burning and she can feel the cold sweat building underneath her thin shirt. The tunnel is as dark as their cell was, and its only after what feels like hours do they finally see a faint light at the end of the tunnel. 

“What’s down there?” Nayeon asks, slowing her stride to stop for a moment, breathing rather shallowly and leaning against the stone wall for support. 

“It’s supposed to empty out into a part of the boardwalk.” Tzuyu replies, stopping to squint at the paper once more. 

“Guys,” Dahyun calls out, “come on I think I hear people!” 

Sure enough, the opening spills them directly out into the middle of a lively night scene. “We’re right back to where we were.” Jihyo blinks in surprise, spotting the food stands from earlier. 

“From what I’ve heard the prisons are overly full these days, they’re really cracking down on things around here.” Tzuyu offers, taking her cap off and tossing it into the darkness behind them. 

“You got some special ties around here Tzuyu?” Nayeon smirks at the younger one. 

“Not quite,” Tzuyu laughs, “not like that anyway.” 

“Mm.” 

“If you’re going to be like that maybe I won’t tell you about this nice inn that will house us.” 

“She’s sorry, please continue.” Jihyo smiles brightly, all while shoving Nayeon away from Tzuyu. 

\- 

Elkie is there waiting for them with a hot meal and clean clothes and Tzuyu introduces them all to one another. 

“Thank you for helping us, I know that was probably risky for all parties involved.” Jihyo bows before handing over a small pouch of coins. “Please, accept this for your troubles.” 

“Ah, really it was nothing.” Elkie laughs. “I owed Tzuyu from something before anyway. Let’s just look at this as a debt settled alright? You all must be exhausted, I’ve got two rooms cleared out for you guys, figured I'd leave the sleeping arrangements to you though.” 

“Thank’s again Elkie.” Tzuyu says, taking the keys and handing them off to Nayeon. 

“Jeongyeon,” Nayeon hands off the keys once more. “Why don’t you get everyone settled in, I have a couple more things I want to clear up.” 

“Sure thing. Come on guys, let’s go before someone passes out here.” 

The sight makes Chaeyoung give a fond, but tired, smile. 

It was great having everyone back together and in good spirits, but the weight of the day was finally settling into her body and all she wanted to do was lie down somewhere and sleep. 

“You okay?” Mina leans over to ask her, taking the uniforms vest off and tossing it to the side. 

“Oh, yeah.” Chaeyoung blushes. “I guess I’m just tired.” 

“That’s understandable.” Mina nods. “You’ve been through a lot today.” 

“So have you.” 

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. You’re fine. The crews fine, we’ll figure this all out.” Mina smiles, attempting to keep the bright attitude. 

Chaeyoung swallows, hands clenching and unclenching. 

She wants to reach out- wants to grab onto the latter’s arm and never let go, and from the corner of her eye she sees Jeongyeon ushering a sleepy eyed Momo up the stairs. 

“Are you coming up?” Mina asks, pointing in the direction of the others. 

“A-actually. Would you come with me for a second?” 

Mina tilts her head before nodding slowly, taking a few small step closer. “What is it? Is something wrong?” 

“No, I mean. I just, need- want, to tell you something.” Chaeyoung tugs a chapped bottom lip between her teeth. “I want to tell you Somi.” 

\- 

“I supposed I should be the one thanking you for taking care of Tzuyu.” Elkie speaks, filling a tall glass with beer and sliding it to where Nayeon stood. “Truly, I’m not quite sure where she would have ended up if not with you.” 

“Tzuyu is a good kid.” Nayeon eyes the glass, not taking it yet. 

“She is, too good.” Elkie smiles knowingly. “She’d have no clue what to do if she was on her own.” 

“Is that so?” 

“If I had to guess, yeah. She needed a family, and that’s what you provided, so thank you.” 

“What about you?” Nayeon finally takes the glass and sniffs it before taking a small sip. “You two wouldn’t be together?” 

“We’ve been friends for a while, but we drifted apart after the death of Tzuyu’s parents.” Elkie tosses a water logged rag into a bucket before reaching for a new one. “She wanted to go out to sea, and I wanted to stay here and run the inn.” 

“But you don’t just run an inn do you?” Nayeon glances over the rim of her glass, waiting for a reaction. 

“No hiding anything from you, is there?” 

“Of course not.” 

“Well, I think it's pretty clear that thing’s between the monarchy and the people have been, rocky, to say the least. You saw all those people locked up in the prison? Some are in there for petty theft, but a lot are there for speaking out against the recent laws.” 

“So it’s a gag order?” 

“Of sorts. Not documented, of course.” Elkie turns to look out to the nearly empty parlor. “Listen, I like to consider myself apart of a network of hardworking and dedicated people.” 

“You don’t mean-“ 

“I do. That’s one of the reason’s you we’re able to be released tonight. Wonpil has been helping some of our key players be released if needed over the past couple months.” 

“Mm, really.” Nayeon, interest fully piqued now. “But what's your endgame then? Or do you just have a habit of helping pirates and felons escape the law?" 

// 

Chaeyoung stops them once they reach the end of the block, glancing around to see if anyone else was there. “Sorry, I just-“ 

“It’s fine.” Mina cuts her off. “I don’t mind, I’m just worried. Are you sure you’re all right?” 

It’s a simple question really, one that could be answered honestly is just a few words, but even that seemed like a struggle to her in the moment. “Before you came, there was a girl.” 

“Somi?” Mina clarifies with a calm demeanor despite the unsettling feeling rising up within her. 

“Yeah.” Chaeyoung nods. “She was with us for a year. Like Tzuyu, she was an orphan with nowhere else to turn. And you know Nayeon, she’s such a softy it wasn’t hard to convince her to let Somi stay with us.” 

“Yeah,” Mina lets out a soft laugh, “I can picture that.” 

“Anyway, Somi was like, a ball of energy. Imagine Sana, but times two.” Chaeyoung chuckles. “She and I were really great friends, but one day, when we were sailing we ran into a cluster of larger ships.” 

“Oh Chaeyoung…” 

“It was too late, and before we realized it, we were already caught in the crossfire. Somi was shot and killed by a stray bullet.” 

“I’m so sorry, that must have been awful.” 

“It was pretty devastating for us, but, I learned a lot from her death.” 

“Like what?” Mina asks quietly, moving close enough for their shoulders to brush. 

“That it can always happen to one of us.” Chaeyoung looks to find Mina’s piercing brown eyes staring into her own. “Somi was so young. And so was I. There were so many things were we going to do together, so many plans that went to waste without so much as an attempt.” 

“Chaeyoung-“ 

"I don't want to feel that way again. I don't want to leave this world with regrets." 

"Hey." Mina takes Chaeyoung's shoulders into her hands and grips at them tightly. "Don't talk like that, nothing is going to happen to you." 

"But it can, Mina," Chaeyoung stresses, "I'm not telling you this because I'm trying to make you sad or even because I'm afraid of dying-" 

"Then why?" Mina voice is strained now, hoarse from an odd tension that Chaeyoung can feel emanating from the rapidly loosening grip the latter had on her. 

"I think- I feel like I'm being selfish." Chaeyoung starts. "I want to tell you this, but I'm scared." 

"Are you scared of _me_?" 

(It's like she's hit a fork in the road, and she's torn between the two directions. 

On one hand, she wants things to change, and at the same time, she wants things to stay exactly the same. 

It's a paradox in itself and she knows it's because she's uncertain of the outcome- uncertain of whether now is the right time, if Mina is even interested in her, if she has the capacity to open up enough to someone.) 

"I'm scared of what I feel for you." She croaks out, cheeks blazing. "I'm scared because we've known each other for such a small amount of time and yet, when I watched you fall overboard I felt like my heart stopped. I don't know, really. I can't describe it, I just- feel so strongly about you. I want you to know that. I _need_ you to know that." 

(Chaeyoung hears a sharp intake of breath and closes her eyes.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sooo sorry for the wait, I feel like my writing has gotten even slower with the new year and for that I apologize. This chapter was a tough one because Michaeng finally confront their feelings! (Kind of.) I tend to write a lot of Michaeng centric stories, so I wanted this to feel new and not overused. Hopefully you guys enjoyed; as always, thanks so much for being patient and reading this story! :)


	8. The Good Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick note, text in italics indicates flashbacks.

_“...I used to rule the world, seas would rise when I gave the word, sow in the morning I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to own...I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing, roman cavalry choirs are singing, be my mirror, my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field, for some reason I can't explain, once you'd gone there was never, never an honest word, and that was when I ruled the world..It was a wicked and wild wind, blew down the doors to let me in, shattered windows and the sound of drums, people couldn't believe what I'd become, revolutionaries wait for my head on a silver plate, just a puppet on a lonely string, oh who would ever want to be king?…” Coldplay: Viva La Vida_

_//_

_From the moment she stepped foot onto the ship, she knew there was something different._

_(She thought it had to do with the fact that they were giving her food and bedding- and really, at that point she didn't even see herself as a prisoner but rather as a passenger with free room and board.)_

_It was odd, because she’d heard the stories; heard all about the terrors of being captured by pirates and their often rough ways. Mina would say the closest person who fit that stereotype would have been Nayeon, but even then, she could tell that the caption was more talk than bite._

_There was Momo, the former marine who (though she tried) could not cook to save her life. Dahyun, the private who was always joking around and telling tales of days past (most inflated to create an even better story, Mina’s sure, but they were entertaining so no one really challenged the girl)._

_There was Nayeon, the stern captain who just acted mean but really was just as lighthearted as the rest of them, and Jihyo, who honestly gave more orders than Nayeon, making sure the ship was always in order. Tzuyu was a silent presence, often standing off to the side and listening to her friends antics- it was a quality that Mina would later come to appreciate. Sana was a lot like Dahyun, all smiles and jokes, so much so that Mina had to do a double take after learning the age order on the ship. There was Jeongyeon, who was arguably the most serious person on the ship, always out on the deck scouting the surrounding waters for possible dangers. And finally, there was Chaeyoung._

_At first, she would admit, the girl didn’t strike her as special._

_Chaeyoung never was one to be overly loud or talkative, filling in a spot that fell between the likes of Tzuyu and Sana, nor was she one to be overly active aboard the ship. (Which she supposed made sense, after learning of the map makers role.)_

_But in some weird way, Chaeyoung seemed to be the one who she crossed paths with the most. And over the weeks that she spent with the crew, she found that her favorite times were spent holed up in the kitchen, with the latter sketching away in the corner by the fire._

_She should have noticed- should have picked up on why she always felt so at ease in the other’s presence._

_(Should have questioned those urges she had to crawl into the others bunk on particularly rough and choppy nights.)_

_And only now, with Chaeyoung staring into her eyes with such intense emotions, did things click._

\- 

The dim lighting from the flickering streetlamp makes it difficult to decipher what was causing the glossiness in Chaeyoung’s eyes. All Mina knowns is that in this moment, she has never seen the other look so young- so vulnerable. 

The sight nearly takes her breath away, and she knows she should say something, should give Chaeyoung some sort of response, show some sort of sign that she had heard what the other had said. 

But all she can do is allow a shallow flow of air to pass through her half parted lips and continue to stare back. 

And in the privacy of her thoughts, she wonders how they got here; her sporting an aching head wound and Chaeyoung looking as if she could burst into tears at any moment. 

(She vaguely remembers herself at five years old, having fantasies about someday embarking on a grand adventure somewhere far away from her quite little farming town. 

And when she had left at the ripe age of sixteen, it was her choice- she had decided that was what she wanted to do. 

But she knows that for Chaeyoung, becoming a pirate wasn't a choice, it was a way of life because her old one had been taken away.) 

A cool breeze sends a loose scattering of leaves down the street, and Mina chances a step forward as images of herself, teetering between drunkenness and soberness and leaning heavily against their ships damp railing flash through her mind. 

\- 

_"It's quiet out here though. So it's not all that bad."_

_"It is," Chaeyoung replies, "makes you forget about a lot right?"_

_"Mm." Mina hums, tilting her head to glance back at Chaeyoung. "What are you trying to forget?"_

_(And rather than an answer, all she receives before she drifts off is a bitter smile.)_

\- 

In a way, she wonders if the near desperate look that the younger woman is giving her stems from that- as if she's clinging to Mina as her last hope of gaining a sense of control over her life. 

Or perhaps it's simply the adrenaline of the day. Maybe Chaeyoung is simply reacting to seeing her again after thinking she had died. 

But she's quick to dismiss both of these thoughts because if there is one thing she knows about Chaeyoung, it's that she's _real_. 

(She's deep and introspective and caring and she would never say something that she didn't truly mean. 

And this is Chaeyoung, putting her feelings on display- asking _her_ if she feels the same. 

Who is Mina to deny such a request?) 

"Chaeyoung, I-" Mina starts, lips suddenly dry, "I know you've been through so much, too much really." 

Chaeyoung simply nods, waiting with baited breath. 

"And I just- I can't promise you _anything_. I can't promise I won't end up like Somi, I can't promise that I'll be able to make you happy-" 

"Mina-" Chaeyoung's eyes are shimmering dangerously now. 

"But you have to believe me when I say that I want to try." 

Chaeyoung physically jerks back and Mina bites her tongue. 

"You mean that?" 

"Of course I do," Mina closes the distance between them and wraps her arms tightly around Chaeyoung; the tension finally resolving as she whipsers, "I told you to believe me didn't I?" 

\- 

("You know you don't have to promise me anything right?" 

"I know, but I want to give you good memories only." 

Chaeyoung gives her a sideway glance, because realistically she knows that's an impossible feat. 

And yet, deep in her heart she believes Mina.) 

// 

The bar is empty, and with not even Elkie in sight, Nayeon aimlessly picks at the un-sanded grain of the wooden counter. 

"Have you made a decision?" 

"It's not mine to make." Nayeon grumbles, squinting at single drop of alcohol that's left sliding around in the bottom of her glass. 

"You're the captain." Tzuyu shoots back, leaning against the entrance to the stairwell. 

"That doesn't mean this is a decision for me to make." Nayeon turns and slides off the stool. "I'm too tired for this, we'll discuss it as a crew tomorrow." 

"Sure." 

"Are Mina and Chaeyoung back yet?" 

"Just stepped in a couple minutes ago." 

"Yeah?" Nayeon cracks a tired smirk as they both climb the steps. "Are congratulations in order?" 

// 

_"We've been planning this hit for months, nearly a year." Elkie spoke lowly, polishing a glass carefully before grabbing another from the pile in front of her._

_"I knew things were bad but I never imagined you people were this far into it." Nayeon replied._

_"Troubles been brewing for years now, you know that."_

_"I do."_

_"Honestly, it was supposed to happen last month- at the last meeting the King held with the Monarchs from the next country over."_

_"Two-birds with one stone?"_

_"Something like that." Elkie nods with a rueful smile. "Things didn't work out though, and we've had to push back our agenda."_

_"And so what do you want from me?" Nayeon slides her glass away from her to lean fully against her elbows._

_"The other leaders and I have agreed that the person we chose to carry out the hit is possibly having second thoughts."_

_"So you want me to do it."_

_"It's a good offer," Elkie shrugs, "what would you have to lose?"_

_"My head, for one."_

_"You can't be afraid of the threat if you take it out first."_

_"It's still a no."_

_"And I respect that, but still, maybe you could take a little more than two minutes thinking about it?"_

_"It's a hard no Chong."_

_Elkie sighs and throws her hands up. "Alright, I'm just saying. It doesn't even have to be you, it could be any of your crew members too. You'd be doing the county a favor."_

_"Gonna get me another drink?" Nayeon tosses a couple coins atop the bar in annoyance._

_Elkie takes them and fills her glass with a chilled pitcher. "Even if you do stick by your decision, you can't tell me you've never thought about doing something like this."_

_As the woman turns and walks away, Nayeon can't help the bitter taste forming in her mouth._

_If there was one thing she hated it was not getting the last word._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Apologies for the wait (and the word vomit)! This chapter is very short, but there's a lot coming up for the last two chapters :) As always thanks so much for reading and I hope you've enjoyed!


	9. Stars Come Out (I'm Finally Free)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise? It’s been a minute I know, feel free to yell at me in the comments; This chapter is filled with a lot of flashbacks/backstory (all text in italics). Hopefully nothing is too confusing but be warned it's likely there'll be some plot holes because I rewrote this chapter like several times; really contains 60% plot and 40% crack, apologies in advance for any typos!

//

_“...All winter we got carried, away over on the rooftops...Let's get married, all summer we just hurried…So come over, just be patient, and don't worry...No, I don't wanna battle from beginning to end, I don't want a cycle of recycled revenge, I don't want to follow death and all of his friends...And in the end, we lie awake, and we dream of making our escape…” Coldplay: Death and All His Friends_

//

_"Touch me again, and I swear I'll break your goddamn jaw."_

_Nayeon blinks, staring back into fiery brown eyes._

_The sun sits high in the sky, and as the wooden grip of the knife becomes slippery in her hand she scowls because the overhang from adjacent building does nothing to cut the heat._

_"Sure." She drawls, twirling the knife- more for show than anything else- before taking a step forward. "Doesn’t mean I'm not going to take what I want."_

_(The woman narrows her eyes, giving Nayeon a look of pity that irks her.)_

_"You really don't want to do this."_

_Nayeon sighs and backs the stranger into the end of the alley._

_It’s hot, she’s tired, and she needs this to work out if she wants to eat later. "Look, how about this. We'll split the money, I take half, you take half. It's a win-win, and your can simply tell your boss you were mugged."_

_A wide smile takes over the woman's features and Nayeon chuckles._

_"Yeah? You think that would work?”_

_"So we have a deal?" Nayeon already is beginning to lower her arm, reaching out just enough to brush her fingertips against the worn fabric of the rucksack._

_(And it's only a slight oversight, she thinks, something anyone could have easily missed. Looking back on it now, the move doesn’t really surprise her that much, but in that particular moment, it knocks the air from her lungs.)_

_There’s blood seeping from her mouth, and she thinks she can hear the grinding of her jaw as she opens her mouth to groan._

_“No offense, but I’m not a low life like yourself.” The woman towers over her and the glare from the sun disappears behind dark hair._

_“Jihyo! What are you doing, hurry up.” A figure emerges from the edge of the building, shooting a questioning look in the direction of the woman who gives her one last glance._

_“I’m coming.”_

_-_

_(It's not a particularly pretty story, and reflects a part of her past she would rather forget. In all honesty she's embarrassed by her actions, remorseful even, and doesn't dare to ever tell anyone exactly how she and Jihyo met._

_The latter would always just laugh and tell Nayeon she knew from the get go that she was all bark and no bite._

_Nayeon never has the heart to correct her.)_

// 

The slight buzz Nayeon has been feeling from the rum starts to dissipate, and the eldest is acutely aware of the heat rising in the now fully occupied room. 

Everyone is asleep, even Jihyo, who has her head haphazardly settled atop her lap. 

Sana and Dahyun are squished against the opposing wall, while Momo and Tzuyu lay huddled in the middle of the room. Jeongyeon occupies the sole chair in the space, head leaning heavily against the edge of the door frame and as her eyes wander further she catches sight of Mina and Chaeyoung, the duo pressed into the corner. 

(She wagers she has an hour before the break of dawn, and lets out a sigh, head falling back into the stone with a light thud.) 

And as she sits with her back against the wall, contemplating the offer Elkie oh so casually brought up an hour ago, she starts to think that she shouldn't wish the task onto another so easily. 

\- 

(“Wake up, we need to talk.”) 

// 

_"What's that?" Jihyo whispers, pulling her closer to inspect the stain._

_"Huh?" She replies lamely, glancing down to where Jihyo's hand tugs at her collar._

_"Is that blood?" Jihyo asks, pulling back after a moment, thumb and forefinger still rubbing at the stiff fabric._

_(They're laying down on the hill that overlooks the port with a warm breeze washing over them._

_Her body feels heavy from a day's work but she knows that if she doesn’t address the elephant in the room, Jihyo will be pissed.)_

_“I got a job at the hospital today. Carting off all their trash to that dump a couple miles away.” She shrugs as if it was obvious._

_“Yeah?”_

_“Yeah.” Nayeon bites the inside of her cheek. “In fact, you probably shouldn’t be this close to me you might catch some life threatening disease.”_

_There’s a flicker of emotion in the latter’s eyes, and try as she might Nayeon can’t place it before it disappears. Jihyo sighs and cuddles closer despite her warnings. “Too comfy.”_

_“Mm.”_

_( Nayeon knows the younger knows she’s lying because they'd been in this position one too many times.)_

_"Tomorrow will be better."_

_"Okay."_

_Jihyo bites down on her shoulder and Nayeon closes her eyes for a moment, allowing the pressure to come as a welcomed distraction._

_(And for a moment, she lets herself believe that everything truly is okay.)_

// 

Mina hears it before she sees it- Nayeon stepping out followed by another figure who she just misses in the darkness. 

As the door shuts, she finds herself shifting closer to where Chaeyoung has practically molded herself into the wall. With their faces just inches apart, she notes the way the others mouth parts slightly, the way small strands of hair escape from where they have been tucked behind Chaeyoung's ear, and the low whistling sound that accompanies every breathy exhale. 

It makes her smile, and Mina can barely contain the urge to scoot closer. 

She thinks she'd like for things to stay like this forever. With Chaeyoung feeling comfortable enough to fall asleep next to her, with their friends teasing them with comments like ‘it’s about time’, and with the hope that they were going to find a new ship and continue their journey to nowhere in particular. 

(Just the thought of such an ending leaves her feeling warm but Mina knows it’s nothing more than a fever dream. 

And if things do turn sour, she thinks she’d be okay with that, because simply being able to experience this small moment is worth it.) 

“Why are you so far away?” Chaeyoung mumbles out, eyes still shut despite her eyebrows creasing together. 

The sudden question startles Mina for a moment before a lazy smile creeps over her features and an airy chuckle passes its way through her lips. “What do you mean, I’m right here.” 

Chaeyoung shifts and lets out a small groan- an audible pop resounding in the silent room as she resettles herself. “It’s cold.” 

And Mina really can’t help herself this time, slowly pushing closer until their foreheads are resting against each other and she has a hand settled comfortably over the small of Chaeyoung's back; the pout the latter's directing towards her is melting her in ways she can't fully comprehend. "Better?" 

(Chaeyoung smiles widely at her this time and Mina feel like she's burning because it's full and bright and everything she thinks a smile should be.) 

"A little." 

// 

_The woman is confident, well dressed, well mannered- and it only takes a minute for Nayeon to decide that she does not like Yoo Jeongyeon._

_Jihyo’s hands are clenched at her side, imperceptibly shaking as she stares at the body slumped over on the floor; Nayeon grinds her teeth and slowly approaches Jihyo, taking a cloth from her pack before gently wiping away the remnants of the blood splatter._

_“Well, that was a pretty close call huh?” Jeongyeon chuckles, smile practically predatory as she struts past the two._

_Jihyo swallows, gaze distracted even as she responds. “Y-yeah. Thanks, I guess.”_

_“Why don’t you step outside,” Nayeon tries gently, “the air might help.”_

_Jihyo nods, slow to move but eventually slips out of sight._

_“What the hell was that.” Nayeon snaps with furious eyes._

_Jeongyeon cocks her head to the side, “What does it look like? I just saved your girlfriend's ass.”_

_Though Nayeon knows this is true, she still can’t help the ugly feeling that continues to build in her chest- and so she doesn’t, allowing it manifest in expletives that make the other cringe._

_“You bounty hunters are all the same. Entitled, self assured. You come in here, waving that gun around like you’ve got all the power in the world- disgraceful.”_

_Jeongyeon simply scoffs. “You can point fingers all you want, you’re just a hypocrite. It was either you or me pulling that trigger so I actually did you a favor.”_

_“There were other options.”_

_“We both made a buck, why are you so-“_

_“She’s not like us.” Nayeon cuts the woman off in a harsh tone._

_Jeongyeon shakes her head grimly. “Won’t take long for that to change.”_

_(The implications of Jeongyeon’s words make Nayeon see red.)_

_-_

_“I was just fucking around, christ."_

_-_

_As Jihyo shakes in her arms that night, Nayeon glares at Jeongyeon who continues brooding on the opposite side of the fire, nursing a shallow cut on her hand._

// 

She doesn’t consider herself to be a leader, even though she likes to pull the captain card more often than she cares to admit; she has never felt true superiority over the others. 

She was never trained to sail and doesn’t really have a specific trade or skill that sets her apart. 

(She feels like a novice, contradicting her position as captain because to her, being in charge means you’re seasoned for the position. 

Something she most certainly is not.) 

And there’s always that tiny voice in the back of her head telling her that Jihyo would be a better leader than her, hell, even Momo would be more qualified. 

But right now, she knows she’d never wish this kind of pressure upon anyone. 

“If this is as big as she says it is, then I don’t see the problem.” Jeongyeon says through a yawn. 

“I don’t know if I can trust her though.” Nayeon sighs, rubbing her temples. 

“Oh? She’s done all this for us, why do you think she’d screw us over.” 

“I just don’t trust her.” 

“You don’t trust a lot of people.” 

“And is that a bad thing?” The room turns colder and Nayeon shifts. “If I do agree, if I decide to help, I can’t be sure that I’ll make it out.” 

Jeongyeon scoffs. “Us, you mean us. And you shouldn’t worry so much, we’ve been in tougher situations.” 

“This is different.” 

“Well, I say do it. It’s not like we have anything to lose.” 

Jeongyeon’s tone is light and offhand.

It makes Nayeon wish she had more to drink. 

// 

_Though the lure of bounteous treasure and a life of adventure sounded good, the life of a pirate is not a glamorous one._

_Nayeon knows this first hand because it's just the sad reality of it all._

_In truth, being a pirate means having patience, it's a lot of sweaty bunks riddled with disease, a lot of and lazing around waiting for the next time you see land; a lot of disappointment._

_And despite all that, it's somehow enticing enough to still attract hundreds upon thousands of wanderlust fools and vagabonds alike._

_Kim Dahyun is one such fool._

_The three of them- Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Nayeon- had docked quietly in the bay just that morning, and Nayeon would liked to have kept it that way except-_

_“Is this real?” Dahyun asks, pulling the silver pistol from Nayeon’s holster, holding it up in her hands as though she’d never seen a gun in her life._

_Nayeon barely contains her annoyance while Jeongyeon laughs in the background and Jihyo continues to humor the young girl’s seemingly endless barrage of questions._

_“One of a kind model,” Jihyo says, gently prying the weapon away from overeager hands, “it’s been with Nayeon since her father passed. You could call it a family heirloom.”_

_“That’s so cool!” Dahyun practically shouts, eyes gleaming._

_(At this point Jeongyeon is in tears and Jihyo can’t seem to contain her own little chuckle- Nayeon almost feels bad for shouting at this strange girl._

_Almost.)_

_Her blow up doesn’t deter Dahyun though, and by the fourth time they “run into each other” Nayeon has lost some of her steam._

_“She’s good, you know.” Jihyo notes, leaning closer to speak into Nayeon’s ear._

_“She’s annoying.” Nayeon grumbles._

_“Sure, but she’s just young.” Jihyo hums thoughtfully. “You have to admit, we could use someone with her skill set.”_

_The two of them watch from afar as Dahyun tugs a pair of large goggles over her eyes before pulling a glowing red sword from a fire; rhythmically hammering the metal flat._

_“She’s got a good work ethic. She’s driven. And she kinda admires you which...”_

_“Oh please, she likes Jeongyeon more than she likes me.” Nayeon scrunches her nose, pointedly glaring at the bounty hunter who’s occupied by testing every piece Dahyun has out for display._

_“Can’t blame her, it’s quality stuff.” Jihyo smiles and hands her a small dagger._

_Nayeon can’t deny the others claim by saying it doesn’t have good craftsmanship, and so she settles for letting out a long sigh._

_“We’re going to be at sea most of the time so we really have no use for a blacksmith. Besides, she even told us she has zero experience as a sailor.”_

_“She can always learn, just like us. And look, have you ever seen Jeongyeon laugh like that before?” Jihyo gestures down the hill to where Dahyun and Jeongyeon are now chatting up a storm about god knows what. “I think I’d be good to have another member of the the crew. To have someone for Jeongyeon to talk to other than us.”_

_Nayeon was used to being on her own._

_Of course, she has Jihyo now, but before she bounced from city to city, never bothering to make meaningful connections with anyone._

_Jeongyeon was just the opposite._

_She came from a large family, and from how she spoke about them, they had been very close before she left for the road._

_And there’s still that longing- despite how much Jeongyeon refutes it- for having people around her._

_(Nayeon hadn’t really understood it when Jeongyeon told her one evening:_

_“Sometimes I just feel empty. Lonely I guess. No offense to you or Jihyo,” Jeongyeon offers a sad smile, “it’s just, rough. Life’s not fair I know, but still...”_

_Before she would have rolled her eyes and told Jeongyeon to suck it up because sometimes, bad things happen to good people._

_But now Nayeon supposes, if someone where to take jihyo away from her, well, she’d probably go mad.)_

_So she relents as she continues watching that rare, wide grin spread across Jeongyeon’s face._

_“Alright, fine.” Nayeon hands back the blade to Jihyo carefully. “Tell Dahyun that if she wants, she can meet us by the docks at noon tomorrow. If she’s late, we leave without her.”_

// 

She’s pretty certain Dahyun is drooling all over her shirt right now but that doesn’t deter Sana from hugging the younger closer to her chest, content listening to the steady rise and fall of the latter’s breathing. 

“They’re not being very discreet.” Momo mumbles from her spot across the floor making Sana chuckle. 

“You know how Nayeon is when she’s stressed.” 

“Did you hear?” Momo shifts, allowing Tzuyu’s head to lean completely against her shoulder instead of the wall. 

“Like you said, they aren’t being very discreet.” 

“What do you think she should do? What should _we_ do.” 

Sana hums lowly before closing her eyes. 

“I think-“ 

\- 

_“Slow down!” Nayeon shouts from the docks._

_“Come on! Hurry up cap!” Dahyun’s laughter fills the otherwise silent port as she sprints down the rotting ramp. “There are so many stalls here I wanna see them all!”_

_“I knew it was a bad idea taking a kid in.” Nayeon grumbles, tugging hard at the wooden chest Jeongyeon and her were struggling to get off the ship._

_“Ah let her be.” Jeongyeon chuckles. “She probably hasn’t even seen the outskirts of her town.”_

_“Doesn’t mean she has to be so annoying.”_

_“Guess that means you and Jihyo won’t be having kids anytime soon.”_

_It’s a joke, Nayeon knows, but she practically drops the end of the trunk she’s carrying in spite. “Shut the fuck up you-“_

_“Nayeon,” Jihyo calls down from the top of the deck, “did you give Dahyun some money? She won’t be able to get anything if she doesn’t have any.”_

\- 

_(“You’re so fucking whipped I can’t believe it.”_

_“How about I just shove you in here and leave you at the marina.” Nayeon growls at the quartermaster who’s practically doubled over from laughter.)_

_-_

_It’s hot and humid but Dahyun pays the weather no mind, captivated by the stalls overflowing with goods in all shapes and sizes._

_There were so many things, so many people, it makes her realize just how small her own town was._

_“There’s a blacksmith a couple stalls up.” Jeongyeon tells her, pointing off to the right._

_“Why don’t you hang around here for the day,” Jihyo suggests. “You could ask some questions or something?”_

_And so she does, watching and asking questions on techniques she’s not as familiar with._

_She notes that the metals they use there are of a much higher grade than she’d ever worked with._

_And it isn’t until later, when the sun has set and she was practically kicked out of the forge that she finds the familiar trio nestled into the corner of a nearby tavern._

_“How was it. Learn a lot?” Jeongyeon asks from behind her glass of beer._

_“Yeah! It was great.” Grinning widely, she eagerly rambles to the table about everything she’d learned._

_“Sounds like you really liked it today.” Jihyo says, voice soft._

_“Oh, yeah for sure.”_

_“Why don’t you stay here then.” Nayeon bites out._

_All three freeze at Nayeon’s words._

_“What- do you mean?” Dahyun tilts her head in confusion._

_“I mean, if you like it here so much, why don’t you stay.” Nayeon rolls her eyes. “Clearly it has a lot to offer you.”_

_(The oldest's tone comes out bored and maybe even a little sarcastic but Dahyun knows better than to take it personally.)_

_“Well, yeah,” she starts, stirring the remains of her bowl of stew, “I learned a lot today, and I definitely could learn a lot more if I stayed but- it’s not where I wanna be.”_

_Nayeon stares her down from across the booth. “And where is it that you want to be.”_

_“Well with you guys, obviously.”_

_Nayeon frowns, before excusing herself to get another drink._

_“Did I say something wrong?” Dahyuns asks worriedly._

_“No, of course not,” Jihyo smooths a hand down the youngest back, “Nayeon’s just- tired is all.”_

_(Jeongyeon snorts, earning a glare from Jihyo.)_

\- 

_They stay longer than usual._

_Dahyun’s pretty certain she knows why but whenever she asks, Nayeon simply yells at her, “why do you care huh? Don’t you have somewhere to be other than bothering me?”_

_She doesn’t mind it though, she’s just grateful for the time to study her craft._

\- 

_“What’s that?” She asks one afternoon while running errands with Jihyo._

_“Huh? That building?” Jihyo nods her head towards a tall, stucco building._

_“Yeah.” Dahyun squints, watching as the doors of the balcony open to reveal a posh looking bedroom and- Oh._

_She’s quick to avert her gaze, face beginning to heat up in embarrassment._

_Jihyo laughs heartily next to her. “Didn’t think you were interested in a place like that Dahyun, but, I supposed you are old enough.”_

_“No!” She furiously shakes her head. “No, it's not like that!”_

_Jihyo just hums and quickens the pace towards the ship, changing the subject to how much work they still need to do in the hull._

_Dahyun chances one last look towards the brothel, purely out of curiosity of course, to find the same woman smirking down at her._

_(She whips her head back, but not before the woman sends a little wave and a wink in her direction.)_

\- 

_Somehow, she’s turned into a temporary apprentice with the blacksmith, helping with cleaning the forge and running errands in exchange for tips and training._

_It isn’t all bad. It gives her something to do while the others continue to work on the ship, (at her expense she’s certain now)._

_The end of the month is approaching rapidly, so she's sent to the edge of town to pick up more raw materials._

_Dahyun doesn't mind at all really because it gives her a chance to sightsee while she travels from one part of town to the other; even after all this time she's still not used to such a bustling city._

_“Look, I already told you, we can’t give you anymore.” There’s a woman- the woman- she had seen previously with Jihyo, arms crossed and scowl etched into her features._

_“Where’s you’re owner.” A uniformed guard asks dismissively._

_“You’re taking to her, and she says, you’re not getting anything more.”_

_(Normally, she wouldn't be so nosy, but it's quite hard to look away because the woman’s stance is guarded, and Dahyun notices the tense atmosphere from the multiple bystanders who’s attention is now fixated on the scene in front of them.)_

_“Are you defying the direct ordered of the crown?”_

_“That’s exactly what I’m doing sweetie.” The woman’s tone is harsh and Dahyun sucks in a breath because the guard's hand is lingering a little too long over the hilt of their sword._

_“Listen you-“_

_“Whoa, hey,” Dahyun speaks up, betraying the voice that’s telling her to shut up and walk away, “uh, what seems to be the problem here?”_

_“I’m not talking to you.”_

_“Maybe I can help though, what’s the matter?”_

_Gritting their teeth, the guard straightens slightly. “This ‘establishment’ is refusing to pay its taxes. Money that rightfully belongs to his majesty.”_

_“You mean extra taxes! I already paid for this month.” The woman seethes. “His majesty can-“_

_“How much is it.” Dahyun cuts in, trying desperately to diffuse the situation._

_“87 coins. If we don’t get it we’ll have to simply take it by force.”_

_“They’ll pay! Okay, see no worries, take it.” Dahyun unties the sack she carries on her belt, offering the money to them._

_The guard quirks an eyebrow at her before shrugging and taking the sack. “Fine then. But next time you better cooperate or we won’t hesitate to use force.”_

_Mounting their horse the guard strides off down the road- leaving behind a fuming woman and a confused Dahyun._

\- 

_“I’ve seen you before. Around town. You’re new here, right?” Sana, as she’d introduced herself earlier asks._

_“Yeah, we won’t be staying much longer though.”_

_They’re currently browsing around the local market after Sana had insisted repaying her._

_(“It’s fine, I really could have paid that guy but he was such an ass you know?”)_

_“Oh? Who are you here with?”_

_“My crew.” Dahyun smiles while shifting through a box of copper bits._

_“You’re a pirate? I thought you said you were a blacksmith.”_

_“I guess you could say I'm both!"_

_“That’s awfully ambitious of you.”_

_“Yeah, I guess you're right.”_

_Dahyun watches as Sana's eyes crinkle around the edges and her lips turn upwards in a matter of seconds- the sight leaves her laughing out of nervousness._

_-_

_“Thanks again for stepping in, you really didn’t have to.” Sana thanks her once more after they'd reached the steps of the porch._

_“Of course! It’s not a problem.” Dahyun coughs into her hand. “Y-you know. You could always come with us. If you wanted a change of pace or- something."_

_“What makes you think I would want that?” Sana asks, tone light and eyes questioning._

_“N-no reason!” Dahyun is quick to amend. “I just meant- well, if you ever wanted to you could. Nayeon wouldn’t mind, really.”_

_Sana simply giggles._

_“You’re cute, Dahyunnie.”_

\- 

“I think, there’s a lot to consider.”

_//_

“I want more than a plan, I want assurances.” Nayeon says firmly. 

Across the table Elkie nods. “Of course, but there’s really only such much I can guarantee.” 

“So start there then. What exactly do you need me for.” 

“The main reason I need you is because we don’t have anyone in the resistance that the local guards don’t know. Not only that, I understand you have some invaluable resources.” 

“And what makes you say that?” Nayeon narrows her eyes, not liking how sure Elkie appears in her claims. 

“I'm talking about your crew, they're very diverse, and have the skill set I believe we need to execute this plan." 

“How can you be so sure.” Jeongyeon suddenly speaks up. “You talk like you know us when we've only just met you. Who are you exactly." 

“I’m sure you know that Tzuyu and I go way back.” Elkie cuts in, eyeing the figure standing in the doorway. “Perhaps she can explain it better?” 

//

 _“Can’t we leave yet?” Tzuyu tugs futilely at Chaeyoung’s shirt sleeve._

_“Hey! Be careful you could have messed me up.” Chaeyoung pouts, focused completely on her sketch._

_“Tell that old geezer it can be finished tomorrow. I’m starving.”_

_“Just give me a couple more minutes, I’m almost done.”_

_Tzuyu sighs, and plops herself down onto a nearby hammock. “Whatever.”_

_“How was work?” Chaeyoung asks after a minute, pulling a drawer open to find another compass._

_“Fine. Boring.”_

_“I thought you liked the armory.”_

_“I do- I mean, I like the benefits.” Tzuyu scoffs. “Doesn’t mean I actually like working those pricks."_

_Chaeyoung shakes her head at the younger's blunt words. "Why don't you find somewhere else to work then?"_

_"You know why I have to have this job." Tzuyu closes her head and rocks herself gently, right foot planted firmly against the wall._

_"A little." Chaeyoung replies lowly. "You haven't exactly explained all the details."_

_"It's better this way. You know I'd tell you if I could." Tzuyu sighs._

_"It's fine."_

_(And it's not fine, but Chaeyoung trusts Tzuyu and doesn't pry further.)_

_-_

_It happens quickly._

_Too quickly._

_One moment she's digging around the back room for a can of polish and the next she's running through burning fields, desperately trying to find her friend._

_"Chaeyoung!"_

_Tzuyu stops in her tracks, breathless as the smoke begins to burn her lungs and eyes._

_"Chaeyoung!"_

_There were only so many places she could be, so where was she?_

_Jerking right, Tzuyu finds herself rushing up the nearest hill to the latter's house._

_And that's exactly where she finds the older girl, sobs racking her small frame as she sits crumpled in front of the burning building._

_"Chaeyoung," Tzuyu gasps as she reaches the top, "thank god I found you, come on we need to go."_

_"They're gone," Chaeyoung whimpers out, "I didn't get here in time and they- they..."_

_Tzuyu clenches her eyes shut as tears stream from Chaeyoung's eyes; she tries to collect herself but all she can smell is the scent of burning flesh._

_"I know, I know," Tzuyu soothes, leaning down to wrap both arms around Chaeyoung's torso from behind, "but we need to go. Your family wouldn't want you to stay if you're in danger."_

_"N-no! I can't leave them, I need to- I need to help them!"_

_"Stop that!" Tzuyu grits her teeth together, tightening her hold on her now hysterical friend who's trashing wildly in her grasp._

_It takes all her strength heave them up and over her shoulder to carry them away from the scene._

\- 

_Eventually, Chaeyoung cries herself to sleep as exhaustion sets in. The two have been stalking around the perimeter of the town for what feels like ages as soldiers continue to march down the blood riddles streets._

_(There was a bunker style safe house not to far from their location they could try, but Tzuyu knows it would be too risky to take Chaeyoung there with so many Soldiers on the prowl.)_

_And so she decides it's best to wait until nightfall when they could move under the cover of darkness. For now they would simply have to hide in back alleys._

_"U-unnie..."_

_The quiet voice startles Tzuyu and she presses her and Chaeyoung against the nearest wall._

_"Are you alright? They didn't touch you did they?" A different voice asks this time, prompting Tzuyu to peer_ _around the corner of a crate._

_Two women, one standing stock still, eyes wide, stares on at that other currently stained red._

_"No, I-I'm fine but how- why did you..."_

_"It's not a big deal, don't worry about it. I'm just glad you're okay. We should get going though, Nayeon is probably going crazy trying to find us."_

_//_

_"_ I just followed Dahyun and Sana back to the docks and well, the rest is history." Tzuyu taps her fingers aimlessly against the bar. "You let us on the ship without a lot of thought and well, the longer we stayed, the more I picked up on things about each crew member that I thought would be useful." 

"So you've been monitoring us?" Nayeon asks, feeling slightly betrayed. 

"Let me just say that I didn't sent Tzuyu out with the intention of scouting specific people." Elkie corrects. "I simply wanted her to suggest traits for individual she felt would be suited for this type of work." 

"It just so happened that you guys- we- are the perfect combo." 

Nayeon feels like she should be used to Tzuyu's blunt ways of speaking but she isn't, really, mostly because she's not sure who or what to believe anymore. "So, to be clear, you don't have anyone else to do this? Because you're asking a lot. And right now I'm not sure how I feel about you." 

"I'm sorry for not telling you everything," Tzuyu sighs, looking only slightly sheepish, "but it was with the best intentions." 

"So if Nayeon does agree, what's the plan. You must have some idea of how you want this all to go down." Jeongyeon says, moving the conversation along. 

"Yes," Elkie replies, "we've been changing things around and reorganizing since the last attempt didn't work out. We'll need you, Jeongyeon, to be a sniper on the outside, only as a last resort of course. Because Mina knows the kitchens and basement well, she can help us smuggle in necessary supplies. Chaeyoung can help by following Mina and making a rough map of the palace. As for Sana, Momo, Nayeon, Jihyo, Tzuyu, and Dahyun, they'll be the team that actually makes contact with the people outside and potentially, the target." 

"It sounds like a decent plan but how do you expect us to blend in? We aren't exactly high class." Jeongyeon pointedly eyes her own worn, and dirt covered clothing. 

"The Coronation Ball is exactly a month away. Everyone in the city is invited for the festivities, and the grounds are open until a certain point." 

"And how do you expect to get close enough to the king for the hit." Nayeon asks, genuinely curious. "You can't tell me you have someone with that high of a status helping you plan this." 

"She doesn't." Tzuyu shakes her head, standing to go back upstairs. "But you do." 


End file.
